The Missouri agricultural economy is alive and well,
according to reports from state officials.
A study commissioned by the Missouri Department of
Agriculture and the Missouri Farm Bureau showed agriculture is still the top
economic industry in the Show-Me State.
Agricultural products, which include crops, livestock, forestry and fishery
production; agriculture inputs and services; food and related products
manufacturing and forestry products manufacturing, brought
in a whopping $88.4 billion in revenue this year.
In addition, agricultural jobs employed more than
378,000 Missourians, who earned a collective $17.5 billion in labor income.
Agricultural companies also contributed $2.2 billion in state and local taxes,
and $4 billion in federal taxes.
While crops amounted for a hefty portion of revenue, the biggest contributing industry was food and related products manufacturing. Breweries were the top economic contributors, raking in nearly $3 billion, with oilseed production and pet food manufacturing rounding out the top three, coming in at just over $2 billion each.
Missouri consistently ranks as one of the top
performing agricultural economies in the nation. In 2015, the Show-Me State
ranked 13th in the U.S. for gross profit. Missouri ranks in the
top-five states for number of farms, biodiesel production, beef production, turkey
inventory and rice acres harvested.
The report also provided an outlook for future
agricultural possibilities in the state. Due to growing consumer interest in
locally-grown produce, fruit and vegetable production will be in demand.
Produce farming provides a good opportunity for a new generation of farmers to
get their start, especially with produce farms generally having a
smaller geographic footprint.
Read the entire report from the Missouri Department of Agriculture,
including a county-by-county breakdown, here. To learn more about how you can take advantage of Missouri’s rich agricultural economy, visit our website.
Interested in exporting your agricultural goods to customers across the globe? Check out our Missouri Exports page.
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