The Economic Importance
of Food and Fiber
A Spotlight on Putnam County, Georgia
Prepared for
Putnam County Cooperative Extension
January, 2010
by:
The Center for Agribusiness
and Economic Development
College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
Total Population
Putnam County
2015 Trend CAED
21,721
20,767
20,385
18,812
2010 Trend CAED
2008 Est.
2000
14,137
1990
10,295
8,394
7,798
7,731
8,514
8,367
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
Primary data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, decennial censuses & estimate;
CAED (Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development).
20,000
25,000
Population Change: 2000-2008
LOSS
Gain < US
Gain < GA but > US
Gain > GA
Putnam Co. = 8.4%
Avg. GA Co. = 11.2%
GA = 18.3%
US = 8.0%
Primary data source: U.S. Census Bureau (3/09)
% of Land in Cropland & Timberland
14 - 64%
64 - 75%
75 - 83%
83 - 92%
92 - 99%
Putnam Co. = 73%
GA Avg. Co. = 76%
GA Total = 78%
GA Metro = 68%
GA Nonmetro = 83%
Primary data sources:
U.S. Census of Agriculture, 2007
USDA Forest Service, 2007
Graphic by Center for Agribusiness
& Economic Development, UGA
Components of 2008 Property Tax Gross Digest
Putnam County
Residential
68.9%
Heavy
Equipment
0.1%
Timber *
0.2%
Ag-PreferentialEnviron-Conserv
8.8%
Mobile Home
0.3%
Motor Vehicle
3.7%
Primary data source:
GA Dept. of Revenue
Public Utility
7.5%
Commercial
40% Assessment Value of Property
Industrial
7.8%
Gross Digest = $1,761,871,201
2.7%
Homestead & Property Exemptions = $256,000,596
Net M&O Digest = $1,505,870,605
Value of exempt property = $42,952,822
* Timber taxed at 100% based on previous year sales
County Property Tax Digest Comparisons: 2008
County
% Resi- % Agri- % Comdential cultural mercial
% Industrial
% Mo%
%
% UtilMotor bile
Timity
Veh Home ber
PUTNAM
68.9
8.8
7.8
2.7
7.5
3.7
0.3 0.20
BALDWIN
54.7
8.9
16.6
5.2
5.7
7.6
1.1 0.16
GREENE
69.3
15.7
8.0
2.4
1.4
2.7
0.2 0.31
JASPER
39.7
43.9
3.0
3.2
3.9
5.4
0.3 0.61
JONES
54.7
19.4
8.7
1.7
5.4
8.8
0.7 0.52
MORGAN
32.5
46.2
10.9
4.3
1.5
4.0
0.4 0.18
Avg. GA Co.
42.3
24.6
12.6
6.9
4.8
7.0
1.0 0.72
Primary data source: GA Dept. of Revenue (preliminary 5/15/09—Fulton Co. digest not verified)
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 2008 Farm Gate Value was
$11.9 billion. Adding the value of
landscape services increased the total
agricultural production value to $14
billion.
¾ Total food and fiber production and
directly related businesses account for
a $63 billion output impact on
Georgia's $771 billion economy.
Production Agriculture: 2008
Georgia Total
Agricultural
Production Value
$11.9 Billion
Landscape
services
15.4%
Poultry &
Eggs
40.1%
Fruits & Nuts
1.9%
Forestry &
Products
4.1%
Other Income
4.4%
Ornamental
Horticulture
4.9%
Vegetables
6.0%
Livestock &
Aqua-culture
9.0%
Row &
Forage
Crops
14.3%
$0 - $20
$20 - $45
$45 - $80
$80 - $200
$200 - $442
2008 Farm Gate
Value by County
in Millions of Dollars
What We Know
about Putnam County
¾ 2008 Farm Gate Value in Putnam Co.
was $96 million. Adding $3.5 million
of landscape services increased the
total agricultural production value to
$99.5 million.
¾ The highest value commodity group
was poultry & eggs, representing
49% of the total agricultural
production value.
Putnam County
2008 Agricultural Production Value
2008 Agricultural Production
Orn Hort
0.5%
Forestry
8.9%
Fruits-NutsOther
Veges
5.1%
0.3%
Landscape
services
3.5%
2008 Top Farm Gate Commodities
Ag Tourism
Sweet Corn
2.3% Hay
Hunting Silage
0.3%
Rest of
2.0%
leases 2.6%
Commodities
2.6%
1.2%
Horses
Beef 2.8%
4.1%
LivestockAquaculture
28.2%
Row-Forage
crops
4.4%
Poultry-Eggs
49.1%
Timber
9.3%
Dairy
22.0%
Total AG Value = $99.5 million
Layers
50.8%
Trends in Putnam County:
Number of Farms & Average Farm Size
Number of Farms, Putnam County
400
Putnam Co.
Georgia
300
A c re s
215
212
176
200
100
Source: 1945-2007 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
07
02
20
20
97
92
19
19
87
82
19
78
19
19
74
69
19
19
64
59
19
54
19
49
19
1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1978 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007
19
45
0
19
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Average Farm Size
Trends in Putnam County:
Land in Farms, Harvested Cropland
& Farms by Size
Land in farms
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Percent of Farms by Size, 2007
40
Putnam Co.
Harvested cropland
Georgia
30
20
37.7
07
02
20
97
20
19
92
87
19
82
19
78
19
74
19
69
19
64
19
59
19
19
54
19
19
19
50
8.6
45
Acres X 1,000
Land in Farms & Harvested Cropland
Putnam County
10
0
1-9
acres
Source: 1945-2007 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
10-49
acres
50-179
acres
180-499 500-999
acres
acres
1000+
acres
How Do We Compare ?
Georgia, Putnam and Surrounding Counties
Farm Gate Value
$ Per Farm (thousands)
$ Per Acre
$3,000
$2,500
$2,000
$2,544
$1,500
$1,339
$1,176
$1,000
$500
$447
$249
$1,071
$529
$464
$300
$82
$181
$0
Ge
ia
g
r
o
Pu
m
a
n
t
in
w
d
l
Ba
n
ee
r
G
e
J
er
p
as
Sources: 2007 Census of Agriculture and 2008 Farm Gate Value Report
es
n
Jo
$83
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?
Putnam County Economy
Agriculture OUTPUT
Output $
Percent
Agriculture
99,471,761
9.39%
Construction
131,328,785
12.39%
Manufacturing
241,717,201
22.81%
Trans-Utilities-Info
85,262,097
8.04%
Trade
128,274,637
12.10%
Finance-Ins-RE
115,846,054
10.93%
Services
159,113,282
15.01%
Government
98,858,847
9.33%
Total County Economic Output = $1.1 billion
Putnam County Economy
Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses OUTPUT
Output $
Percent
Agriculture + Direct
195,621,933
18.46%
Construction
131,328,785
12.39%
Manufacturing
145,567,029
13.73%
Trans-Utilities-Info
85,262,097
8.04%
Trade
128,274,637
12.10%
Finance-Ins-Real Est
115,846,054
10.93%
Services
159,113,282
15.01%
Government
98,858,847
9.33%
Total County Economic Output = $1.1 billion
Putnam County Employment
Total Jobs = 1,426
Construction
1,153
11.7%
Manufacturing
868
8.8%
AG + Directly
Related
1,147
11.6%
Trans-Utilities-Info
391
4.0%
Trade
2,026
20.5%
State & Federal
Government
1,021
10.4%
Public Education
864
8.8%
Other Services
1,464
14.8%
Professional
Services
536
5.4%
Primary data source: Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development, UGA
Finance-Ins- Real
Est
394
4.0%
An Economic Snapshot
of Putnam County
¾ How much of Putnam County’s total
economic output comes from food and
fiber production?
¾ AG value alone of $99.5 million
consisting of Farm Gate Value and
landscape services comprises 9.4% of
the county’s economy.
¾ AG plus directly related businesses (ex.
ag chemical manufacturing, sawmills,
etc.) comprise 18.5% 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%
Putnam Co.
18.5%
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
Putnam County
Agriculture IMPACT
Direct $ Millions
Indirect $ Millions
99,471,761
0
Construction
0
382,301
Manufacturing
0
4,109,050
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
3,246,889
Trade
0
3,542,002
Finance-Ins-Real Est
0
4,799,604
Services
0
3,469,426
Government
0
612,976
Agriculture
99,471,761
20,162,249
Total
Total Impact of Production AG = $119.6 million
11.3% of total economy
Putnam County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses IMPACT
Agriculture + Direct
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-Real Est
Services
Government
Total
Direct $
Indirect $
195,621,933
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
195,621,933
0
737,344
4,546,426
6,114,418
7,331,614
8,110,403
10,785,964
1,062,011
38,688,179
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related = $234.3 million
22.1% of total economy
Putnam County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Industries
Employment IMPACT
Direct
Agriculture + Direct
Indirect
1,147
0
Mining
0
0
Construction
0
9
Manufacturing
0
5
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
23
Trade
0
85
Finance-Ins-Real Est
0
28
Services
0
124
Government
0
5
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related Employment = 1,426 Jobs
14.5% of total employment
What These Numbers Mean:
A Brief Explanation
¾ Direct impact is $195.6 million. This
includes food and fiber production,
processing and directly related
manufacturing.
¾ Indirect impact from the Trade sector is
$7.3 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.
Putnam County Food and Fiber
Impact Conclusions
¾ The total impact of food and fiber
production, processing and direct
manufacturing is $234.3 million.
¾ The total county output is $1.1
million.
¾ Thus, food and fiber (directly and
indirectly) account for 22% of the
total county output.
Food and Fiber Production and Directly Related
Manufacturing IMPACT as % of Total Output
0 - 7%
7 - 16%
16 - 29%
29 - 46%
46 - 76%
Putnam Co.
22.1%
Contact Information
Prepared by:
Sue Boatright and Sharon Kane
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
#10-02A
January, 2010