The Contributions of Agriculture to Idaho’s Economy:
2006
Agriculture makes the biggest contribution to Idaho’s economy—$21 billion in total sales, or 20 percent of Idaho’s total—more than any other economic sector, when viewed through a “base contribution” lens, according to a new publication from University of Idaho Extension.
In 2006, in addition to gross sales, Idaho agriculture “was responsible for generating 156,599 jobs (17% of Idaho’s workforce), $4.2 billion in wages (15% of Idaho’s total), and $8.4 billion in gross state product (17% of Idaho’s GSP),” says The Contributions of Agriculture to Idaho’s Economy: 2006.”
Written by three economists from the University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences—Philip Watson, Garth Taylor, and Stephen Cooke—the 12-page publication, intended for laymen and illustrated with photographs and six graphs, details the difference between viewing an industry’s impact through a “gross contribution” analysis and a “base contribution” analysis.
“The economic activity of agriculture also supports many other industries and brings a great deal of new revenue into Idaho through agricultural sales out of the state—agricultural exports,” says the report. “In this way the economic activities of sectors like fertilizer sales, farm equipment sales, and food processing input providers all depend on revenue generated by the agricultural sector.”
Download a copy of the publication from www.cals.uidaho.edu/edComm/pdf/
CIS/CIS1144.pdf.
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