A recently released report detailing the economic contributions agriculture has on Santa Barbara County shows the industry generates almost $3 billion for the local economy.
According to the report, agriculture in the county contributes $2.8 billion to the economy, including $1.8 billion in direct economic output and $1 billion in additional economic output in the form of expenditures by agriculture companies and their employees.
Additionally, the agriculture industry infuses $53.5 million in indirect business tax payments to county coffers, representing 6.2 percent of the county’s annual $866 million budget.
The report will be used by the county and elected officials, such as the Board of Supervisors, when making future land-use, policy and budget decisions, said County Agriculture Commissioner Cathy Fisher.
“The findings offer important new information for policy makers, the public and anyone who values a vibrant local economy,” she said.
Santa Barbara County’s report was compiled using statistics and data in the county’s 2011 Annual Crop Report, as well as national data from the same year. Total farm production in the county in 2011 was $1.2 billion, with strawberries, broccoli and grapes placing in the top three crops
The industry provides more than 25,370 jobs locally, including 15,971 jobs directly related to agriculture and agriculturally related food processing. Another 9,399 jobs are made possible through expenditures by agriculture companies and their employees.
“This report has documented the powerful role that Santa Barbara County agriculture plays as a local economic driver,” Fisher said.
It’s estimated agricultural operations, which range from crop production to processing and packing plants, also account for nearly one out of every 10 jobs in Santa Barbara County, which is on par with neighboring San Luis Obispo County.
San Luis Obispo County commissioned a similar report that was released in August 2012 and outlines the financial impacts agriculture has on the local economy north of the Santa Maria Bridge. That report also estimates one in 10 employees work in agriculture.
Economists from Agricultural Impact Associates — a firm specializing in agricultural economics analysis — analyzed Santa Barbara County’s local crop production, food processing and number of jobs provided by agriculture for the $30,000 report.
The report will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for discussion and review when the elected officials meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Santa Maria. The meeting will be held at the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Administration Building, Board Hearing Room, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway.
Other highlights of the newly released report include a high crop diversity score for local agricultural, which provides economic stability within the industry and to the county’s economy as a whole.
“A county with a diverse agricultural industry can withstand shocks to certain crops without unraveling the entire agricultural economy,” the report reads. “Agricultural diversity is like a valuable insurance policy against economic calamity, the premiums and coverage for which have never been calculated.
Santa Barbara County is the state’s 12th ranked county in total agricultural production.
Source - http://santamariatimes.com/
