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Friday, February 21, 2025

Alabama agriculture contributes significantly to state economy

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Alabama Agriculture Economic Contribution | Provided by Ace

Alabama Agriculture Economic Contribution | Provided by Ace

Agriculture and forestry are significant contributors to Alabama's economy, generating $77.3 billion annually. This figure positions agriculture and forestry as one of the state's leading industries. The data comes from the "Agriculture & Forestry Grow Alabama: An Economic Contribution Study," unveiled at a press conference by the Alabama Agribusiness Council in Montgomery.

The study reveals that agriculture and forestry provide 273,271 jobs, accounting for 10% of Alabama's workforce. Rick Pate, Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, said, "The prosperity and sustainability of Alabama’s economy is heavily influenced by agriculture and these allied industries, and I’m proud to represent the hard-working people employed in those endeavors." He highlighted the global impact of commodities produced in Alabama.

Economic contributions include production costs, goods and services output, and household income expenditures. Jimmy Parnell, President of the Alabama Farmers Federation, emphasized the industry's importance: "Agriculture and forestry have been in the past and continue to be an extremely important part of Alabama’s economy, but to know that we are contributing $77.3 billion to our state’s economy each year is extremely valuable."

The report details economic impacts by commodity and region as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was commissioned by the Alabama Agribusiness Council with research conducted by Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Funding came from 20 agricultural organizations.

Key figures from the report include timber production contributing $30.6 billion with 91,372 jobs; poultry processing at $19 billion with 47,205 jobs; soybean production at $812.4 million with 4,736 jobs; beef production at $703.6 million with 10,063 jobs; cotton production at $566.9 million with 4,797 jobs; greenhouse production at $510.6 million with 4,360 jobs; peanut production at $238 million with 1,940 jobs; and catfish production at $161.3 million with 676 jobs.

For more information on this study or future updates planned every two years, visit GrowAlabama.org.

Information from this article can be found here.

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