The Economic Importance
of Food and Fiber
A Spotlight on Union County, Georgia
Prepared for
Union County Cooperative Extension
September, 2007
by:
The Center for Agribusiness
and Economic Development
College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
Total Population
Union County
22,911
23,349
20,652
2010 Trend CAED
2010 OPB
2006 Est.
17,289
2000
11,993
1990
9,390
6,811
6,510
7,318
1980
1970
1960
1950
7,680
6,340
1940
1930
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
Primary data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, decennial censuses & estimate; CAED (Center for
Agribusiness & Economic Development).
25,000
Population Change: 2000-2006
LOSS
0 – 6.4%
6.4 – 14.4%
14.4 – 34%
34 – 53.4%
Avg. GA
County = 9.1%
GA = 14.4%
US = 6.4%
Union Co.
19.5%
Primary data source: U.S. Census Bureau (3/07)
Percent of Land in Cropland & Forestland: 2002
23 – 40%
40 – 55%
55 – 70%
70 – 85%
85% or more
GA Total = 78.5%
GA Avg. Co. = 77.3%
Metro Avg. Co. = 70.7%
Nonmetro Avg. Co. = 82.6%
Union Co.
82.2%
Primary data sources:
U.S. Census of Agriculture, 2002
Forest Statistics for Georgia, 1997
Components of 2006 Property Tax Gross Digest
Union County
Residential
70.4%
Timber *
0.00%
obile Home
0.5%
otor Vehicle
4.5%
Public Utility
1.1%
Commercial
9.1%
Industrial
0.7%
Ag-PreferentialEnvironConserv
13.7%
40% Assessment Value of Property
Gross Digest = $1,330,404,796
STATE Homestead & Property Exemptions = $123,770,994
Net M&O Digest = $1,206,633,802
Primary data source:
GA Dept. of Revenue
Value of exempt property = $166,531,091
* Timber taxed at 100% based on previous year sales
County Property Tax Digest Comparisons: 2006
County
% Residential
UNION
DAWSON
FANNIN
GILMER
LUMPKIN
TOWNS
WHITE
Avg. GA Co.
70.4
62.4
72.3
55.8
44.5
76.9
58.2
41.9
Primary data source: GA Dept. of Revenue
% Agri- % Com- % In% Motor
cultural mercial dustrial Vehicle
13.7
16.8
8.7
24.5
31.6
8.8
22.2
22.5
9.1
14.2
9.4
10.0
12.9
8.6
8.6
12.8
0.7
0.3
0.7
2.0
2.4
0.1
1.1
7.6
4.5
4.7
6.6
4.9
5.6
3.7
6.6
7.4
%
Other
1.6
1.6
2.2
2.8
3.0
1.8
3.4
7.7
Revenue : Expenditure Ratios
$ of Revenue for Each $ of Expenditure
$1.92
$2.86
Farm/Forest
$1.01
$1.18
$2.70
$3.19
$1.17
Commercial
$1.93
$1.25
$3.45
Residential
$0.00
Cherokee
Jones
Carroll
Oconee
US Avg
$0.64
$0.87
$0.83
$0.90
$0.87
$1.00
$2.00
$3.00
Dorfman, Jeffery, The Economics of Growth, Sprawl and Land Use Decisions (presentation), Dept. of Ag &
Applied Economics, UGA, January 2004.
$4.00
Agriculture in Georgia
¾ Georgia's 2006 Farm Gate Value was
$10.4 billion. Adding the value of
landscape services increased the total
agricultural production value to $12.2
billion.
¾ Total food and fiber production and
directly related businesses account for
a $34.5 billion output impact on
Georgia's $55 billion economy.
Production Agriculture: 2006
Georgia Total
Agricultural
Production Value
$12.2 Billion
Landscape
services
Other Income
14.7%
5.3%
Poultry &
Eggs
36.1%
Fruits & Nuts
2.5%
Forestry &
Products
5.5%
Ornamental
Horticulture
6.3%
Vegetables
6.8%
Livestock &
Aquaculture
10.4%
Row &
Forage Crops
12.4%
$0 - $20
$20 - $45
$45 - $80
$80 - $200
$200 - $385
2006 Farm Gate
Value by County
in Millions of Dollars
What We Know
about Union County
¾ 2006 Farm Gate Value in Union Co.
was $26.9 million. Adding $866
thousand of landscape services
increased the total agricultural
production value to $27.7 million.
¾ The highest value commodity group
was ornamental horticulture,
representing 35% of the total
agricultural production value.
Union County
2006 Agricultural Production Value
2006 Agricultural Production
Other
3.2%
Orn Hort
35.0%
2006 Top Farm Gate Commodities
Landscape
services
3.1%
Poultry-Eggs
32.8%
Sweet Corn
Ag Tourism
2.9%
3.1%
Breeder
Pullet Unit
5.2%
Container
Nursery
1.1%
Field Nursery
1.1%
Rest of
Commodities
6.1%
Beef
5.5%
Layers
10.9%
Vegetables
5.0%
LivestockAquaculture
18.4%
Row-Forage
crops
2.4%
Horses
12.4%
Total AG Value = $27.7 million
Greenhouse
33.9%
Broilers
17.8%
Trends in Union County:
Number of Farms & Average Farm Size
Number of Farms, Union County
Average Farm Size
300
1400
Union Co.
Georgia
1200
200
Acres
1000
800
600
75
100
330
200
Source: 1945-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
92
19
97
R
20
02
19
87
19
78
82
19
19
69
74
19
19
59
64
19
19
54
19
1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1978 1982 1987 1992 1997R 2002
19
45
0
49
0
19
400
218
Trends in Union County:
Land in Farms & Farms by Size
Land in Farms
Union County
Percent of Farms by Size, 2002
200
Union Co.
Georgia
A cres X 1,000
100
150
80
60
100
40
24.789
50
20
0
9
19 2
97
R
20
02
87
19
82
19
78
19
74
19
69
19
64
19
59
19
54
19
19
50
19
19
45
0
1-9 acres
Source: 1945-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
10-49
acres
50-179
acres
180-499 500-999
acres
acres
1000+
acres
Trends in Union County
Number of Farms by Commodity
180
167
160
140
1987
1992
1997
2002
139
120
100
80
60
40
29
13
20
0
Beef Cows
Corn for Grain
Source: 1987-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
Hay
Layers
How Do We Compare ?
Georgia, Union Co. and Surrounding Counties
Farm Gate Value
$ Per Farm (thousands)
$ Per Acre
$8,000
$7,000
$6,000
$7,668
$5,000
$4,000
$2,982
$3,000
$2,000
$1,000
$957
$210
$1,084
$81
$1,943
$1,764
$272
$131
$626
$0
ia
g
r
o
Ge
n
n
o
o
i
s
w
Un
Da
in
n
n
Fa
er
m
Gil
kin
p
m
Lu
Sources: 2002 Census of Agriculture and 2006 Farm Gate Value Report
$166
What We Did
County Economy Modeled
¾ The Center for Agribusiness and Economic
Development performed an analysis of the
county’s economy, focusing on the role of
food and fiber.
¾ How much of the county’s total current
economic output comes from food and fiber
production and directly related processing?
(A Snapshot of the Economy)
¾ What is the total (direct and indirect) Impact
of food and fiber production and directly
related industries?
Union County Economy
Agriculture OUTPUT
Output in $ Millions
27.740
3.297
76.193
63.835
59.483
99.951
53.424
145.278
119.565
Percent
4.3%
0.5%
11.7%
9.8%
9.2%
15.4%
8.2%
22.4%
18.4%
Agriculture
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total County Economic Output = $648.8 million
Union County Economy
Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses OUTPUT
Agriculture + Direct
Output in $ Millions
39.717
3.297
76.193
51.858
59.483
99.951
53.424
145.278
119.565
Percent
6.1%
0.5%
11.7%
8.0%
9.2%
15.4%
8.2%
22.4%
18.4%
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total County Economic Output = $648.8 million
An Economic Snapshot
of Union County
¾ How much of Union County’s total
economic output comes from food and
fiber production?
¾ AG value alone of $27.7 million consisting
of Farm Gate Value and landscape
services comprises 4.3% of the county’s
economy.
¾ AG plus directly related businesses (ex.
logging, etc.) comprise 6.1% of the
county’s economy.
Food and Fiber Production and Directly Related
Manufacturing as % of Total Output
0 - 10%
10 - 20%
20 - 30%
30 - 50%
50 – 77%
Union Co.
6.1%
What is the Impact?
¾What is the total (direct and indirect)
impact of food and fiber production and
directly related industries?
¾This scenario illustrates how other
industries are affected by the presence
of food and fiber in the county. The
indirect impacts measure output created
due to food and fiber production and
processing in the county.
What Impact Means:
A Brief Explanation
¾ The impact numbers capture the
ripple effects that food and fiber
create in the county’s economy.
Many other sectors rely in part on the
existence of food and fiber for sales.
Labor
Seed
Utilities
Union County
Agriculture IMPACT
Direct $ Millions
27.740
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
27.740
Indirect $ Millions
0
.000
.099
.196
.699
1.699
1.143
2.816
1.546
8.199
Agriculture
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total
Total Impact of Production AG = $35.9 million—5.5% of total economy
Union County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses IMPACT
Agriculture + Direct
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total
Direct $ Millions
39.717
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
39.717
Indirect $ Millions
0
.000
.118
.273
.827
2.210
1.499
3.632
1.962
10.520
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related = $50.2 million—7.7% of total economy
Union County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Industries
Employment IMPACT
Direct
853
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Indirect
0
0
1
2
7
31
12
68
1
Agriculture + Direct
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related Employment = 976 Jobs
What These Numbers Mean:
A Brief Explanation
¾ Direct impact is $39.7 million. This
includes food and fiber production,
processing and directly related
manufacturing.
¾ Indirect impact from the Trade sector is
$2.2 million. This captures the effects of
farmers (direct source) buying supplies
(seed, fertilizer, work boots) from local
stores. These stores must increase their
output to meet farmer demand.
What These Numbers Mean:
A Brief Explanation (continued)
¾ As local stores increase their output, they
may demand more stock from local
wholesalers (also in the Trade sector).
Local wholesalers demand more from
local manufacturers, thus increasing
activity in the Manufacturing sector.
¾ Local stores also hire employees to assist
farmers. They take home wages and buy
groceries at the local store which
increases demand there.
Union County Food and Fiber
Impact Conclusions
¾ The total impact of food and fiber
production, processing and direct
manufacturing is $50.2 million.
¾ The total output is $648.8 million.
¾ Thus, food and fiber (directly and
indirectly) account for 7.7% of the
total output.
Food and Fiber Production and Directly Related
Manufacturing IMPACT as % of Total Output
0 - 10%
10 - 25%
25 - 40%
40 - 60%
60 - 84%
Union Co.
7.7%
Contact Information
Prepared by:
John C. McKissick, Sue Boatright, & Archie Flanders
Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development
“Adding Value to Georgia's Agricultural Economy
Through Research and Extension“
To learn more about your county, go to:
http://www.caed.uga.edu/
...click on “Georgia Statistics System”
Special County Area Report
#0727A
September, 2007