In this article, we will discuss the 7 Best Small Cap Agriculture Stocks to Buy Now.
The agricultural sector sustains life. It provides food for humans and animals while driving global economies. The sector also provides feedstock for bio-energy.
The agriculture, food, and related industries contributed more than $1.5 trillion to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In 2024, food purchases amounted to 12.9% of US household budgets. The expanding global population and rising household incomes are fueling food demand.
According to UN estimates, the world’s population is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, up from around 7.6 billion currently. This calls for increased food production to feed the expanding population. At the same time, increasing purchasing power due to rising household incomes is driving dietary upgrades to higher-value foods. There is also the transition from animal-based foods to plant-based alternatives amid the growing focus on health and environmental benefits.
All this puts the spotlight on agricultural companies. The White House announcement on May 17 that China has committed to buying at least $17 billion of US agricultural products annually has only brought more attention to agriculture stocks.
The options for investors range from companies growing food to those supplying farm inputs and those processing food. That said, let’s explore some of the best small-cap agriculture stocks to buy now.
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Our Methodology
To compile the list of the 7 best small cap agriculture stocks to buy now, we used the Finviz stock screener, sifted through various ETFs, and scanned financial media reports to identify companies in the agriculture industry. We looked for companies that grow food, provide farm inputs, advance farming innovations, or process food. Next, we selected companies with a market cap of $2 billion or lower. We ended up with dozens of stocks in our initial list and applied additional filters to pick out the best. We looked for stocks with a positive upside potential and that are favored by hedge funds. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database as of Q4 2025. Finally, we ranked the stocks based on their price upside potential (as of May 19).
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research shows we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 498.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 303 percentage points (see more details here).
Best Small Cap Agriculture Stocks to Buy Now
7. Dole PLC (NYSE:DOLE)
Market Cap: $1.35 Billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31
Upside Potential: 1.83%
Dole PLC (NYSE:DOLE) is one of the best small cap agriculture stocks to buy now. Dole PLC (NYSE:DOLE) released its Q1 2026 results on May 11. The results showed revenue increased by roughly 12% YoY, or $242.8 million, supported by robust demand, higher fruit prices, and favorable forex impact. However, net income dipped to $37.7 million from $44.2 million a year ago. The management tied this decrease to higher expenses.
In light of this, Dole looks to invest in automation and other technologies to enhance distribution and logistics efficiency. The company plans to pump around $100 million into automation, artificial intelligence, and advanced warehouse solutions in Sweden.
The company is also making bolt-on acquisitions. It has currently identified acquisition opportunities in Italy, Sweden, Spain, and Ireland.
For 2026, Dole has identified several strategic priorities as it targets at least $400 million in adjusted EBITDA. These include continued focus on cost control and operating efficiency, strengthening market position in core business areas, and pipeline development with disciplined capital allocation.
Dole closed Q1 2026 with $273.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $256 million at the of the year-ago quarter.
Dole PLC (NYSE:DOLE) is an agricultural multinational corporation. The company produces a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits and sells them in more than 80 countries. Dole’s portfolio includes more than 300 product lines.
6. Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Inc (NYSE:DNA)
Market Cap: $456.2 Million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 24
Upside Potential: 10.25%
Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Inc (NYSE:DNA) is one of the best small cap agriculture stocks to buy now. Ginkgo Bioworks is developing an autonomous lab that it calls Nebula. Biotech companies can use this lab to develop biological solutions for farms as alternatives to traditional chemicals and fertilizers. With Nebula, Ginkgo Bioworks offers robot-powered laboratories that can run nonstop throughout the day and week.
On May 7, Ginkgo Bioworks outlined its growth plan for Nebula and highlighted its market opportunity. The company said that Nebula has already become the world’s largest autonomous lab, and it aims to double its size in 2026.
According to Ginkgo Bioworks, Nebula helps laboratory operators save on space and operating costs. Besides, it allows for around-the-clock operations to increase productivity. In light of this, Ginkgo Bioworks CEO Jason Kelly said they see a large market opportunity ahead, considering that the lab space “remains overwhelmingly manual today.” According to the executive, the Nebula platform is getting better as they continue to use it to run their other offerings, such as Cloud Lab and Datapoint.
Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Inc (NYSE:DNA) operates as a research and development partner of biotech and agricultural companies. It provides tools and services that support the development of biological solutions as alternatives to traditional synthetic chemicals and fertilizers.
While we acknowledge the potential of DNA to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than DNA and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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