Ottumwa Courier, IA
090-28-06
Study shows agriculture is important to Wapello County
Thousands of jobs connected to agriculture
By SCOTT NILES Courier staff writer
OTTUMWA — More than 6,100 jobs in Wapello County alone are connected to
agriculture.
This accounts for nearly 30 percent of the county’s employment. While not all of
these jobs are directly related to farming, most have indirect ties to agriculture.
“Some of the peripheral jobs are the ones that are impacted by ag in a different
way. These are the jobs like the insurance companies and machine industries,”
said Byron Leu, livestock field specialist for Iowa State University
Extension in southeast Iowa.
Leu, and other members of the Ottumwa Area Chamber of Commerce
Agricultural Committee said getting this information out is vital in showing
residents the importance of agriculture in this area.
“As far as the number of jobs and the number of people that are employed
because of [agriculture] in the community, there is no denying it is a huge
economic factor,” said Tim Tracy, executive director of the Ottumwa chamber.
The numbers and other statistics regarding agricultural productivity around the
state were part of a study conducted by Iowa State University.
The study looked at all 99 counties from 1997 and 2002, showing the impact of
agriculture in each community.
The study indicated that there are 845 farms in Wapello County, averaging
around 244 acres in size and selling an average of $44,756 worth of farm
products per year, a total of more than $37.8 million.
“The biggest example of the value added expansion around the county is the
Cargill group out of Eddyville with their network relationships and ties to other
industries. Another is John Deere with their 4-H-based manufacturing and their
worldwide approach. Excel also continues to have lots of product value,” Leu
said. “We wanted to make it aware to people in the community that ag is still
important.”
With the increase in the use of alternative fuels, Tracy said Wapello County could
see even more agricultural impact.
“I think you’re seeing the state take more of an interest in value-added products.
All the things like biodielsel, ethanol and things that are grown in the area,” he
said. “I think agriculture will continue to remain strong and as we develop ethanol
and biodielsel resources in the state there are opportunities for those things in
Wapello County.”
The county is also a big producer of goods and services that are used elsewhere.
In 2002, the export value of goods and services supporting Wapello County’s
agriculture and food industry totaled $1.39 billion, 50.5 percent of the county’s
total industrial production.
Despite, a decline from 1997 of acres and the number of farms in the county
going down, values of products and land have continued to increase.
“We are in a good place right now,” Leu said. “We are still the number one swine
producing state in the country.”
He said agriculture is a big part of southeast Iowa and the entire state and people
need to know how much of an impact it has on the economic development of the
area.
“Iowa has always been a strong agricultural state and always will be,” Tracy said.
Scott Niles can be reached at (641) 683-5360 or via e-mail at
sjniles@mchsi.com.