The Economic Importance
of Food and Fiber
A Spotlight on White County, Georgia
Prepared for
White 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
White County
2010 Trend CAED
27,871
29,343
24,738
OPB Proj.
2006 Est.
19,944
2000
13,006
10,120
7,742
6,935
5,951
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
6,417
6,056
1940
1930
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
Primary data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, decennial censuses & estimate; CAED (Center for
Agribusiness & Economic Development).
30,000
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%
White Co.
24.0%
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%
White Co.
81.6%
Primary data sources:
U.S. Census of Agriculture, 2002
Forest Statistics for Georgia, 1997
Components of 2006 Property Tax Gross Digest
White County
Residential
58.2%
Heavy
Equipment
0.1%
Ag-PreferentialEnvironConserv
22.2%
Timber *
0.0%
Mobile Home
0.9%
Motor Vehicle
6.6%
Public Utility
2.4%
Primary data source:
GA Dept. of Revenue
Commercial
8.6%
Industrial
1.1%
40% Assessment Value of Property
Gross Digest = $984,135,959
STATE Homestead & Property Exemptions = $88,018,779
Net M&O Digest = $896,117,180
Value of exempt property = $155,416,660
* Timber taxed at 100% based on previous year sales
County Property Tax Digest Comparisons: 2006
County
% ResiDential
% Agri- % Com- % In- % Motor
%
cultural mercial dustrial Vehicle Other
WHITE
58.2
22.2
8.6
1.1
6.6
3.4
BANKS
36.3
36.6
12.6
3.8
6.7
4.0
HABERSHAM
57.4
15.0
11.4
4.9
6.6
4.8
HALL
56.3
6.2
17.0
10.9
7.2
2.4
LUMPKIN
44.5
31.6
12.9
2.4
5.6
3.0
TOWNS
76.9
8.8
8.6
0.1
3.7
1.8
UNION
70.4
13.7
9.1
0.7
4.5
1.6
Avg. GA Co.
41.9
22.5
12.8
7.6
7.4
7.7
Primary data source: GA Dept. of Revenue
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 White County
¾ 2006 Farm Gate Value in White Co.
was $81.5 million. Adding $677
thousand of landscape services
increased the total agricultural
production value to $82.2 million.
¾ The highest value commodity group
was poultry/eggs, representing
86.5% of the total agricultural
production value.
White County
2006 Agricultural Production Value
2006 Agricultural Production
Vegetables
0.4%
LivestockForestry
Aquaculture
0.5%
8.3%
Row-Forage
crops
1.9%
Orn Hort
0.4%
Fruits-Nuts
0.4%
Other
0.7%
Landscape
services
0.8%
2006 Top Farm Gate Commodities
Hay Dairy
Breeder Horses
1.0% 0.9%
Pullet Unit 2.1%
2.1%
Pork
Beef 2.1%
2.7%
Silage
0.8% Timber
0.5% Rest of
Commodities
2.7%
Layers
15.3%
Poultry-Eggs
86.5%
Total AG Value = $82.2 million
Broilers
69.9%
Trends in White County:
Number of Farms & Average Farm Size
Number of Farms, White County
Average Farm Size
300
1200
White Co.
Georgia
1000
218
200
Acres
800
600
200
81
100
Source: 1945-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
R
02
20
97
92
19
19
87
19
82
19
78
19
74
19
69
19
64
19
59
19
54
19
1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1978 1982 1987 1992 1997R 2002
19
45
0
49
0
19
400
376
Trends in White County:
Land in Farms & Farms by Size
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Percent of Farms by Size, 2002
50
White Co.
Georgia
40
30
30.3
19
45
19
50
19
54
19
59
19
64
19
69
19
74
19
78
19
82
19
87
19
9
19 2
97
R
20
02
Acres X 1,000
Land in Farms
White County
20
10
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 White County
Number of Farms by Commodity
198
200
180
148
160
140
1987
1992
1997
2002
120
100
80
60
33
40
14
20
0
Beef Cows
Corn for Grain/Seed
Source: 1987-2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
Hay
Layers and Pullets
How Do We Compare ?
Georgia, White and Surrounding Counties
Farm Gate Value
$ Per Farm (thousands)
$ Per Acre
$7,000
$6,000
$5,000
$6,756
$4,000
$3,511
$3,000
$2,692
$2,000
$1,000
$4,460
$1,943
$957
$210
$217
$330
$503
$330
$166
$0
ia
g
r
o
Ge
ite
h
W
m
ks
a
n
h
Ba
rs
e
b
Ha
ll
a
H
Sources: 2002 Census of Agriculture and 2006 Farm Gate Value Report
kin
p
m
Lu
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?
White County Economy
Agriculture OUTPUT
Output in $ Millions
Percent
Agriculture
82.209
10.2%
Construction
117.198
14.5%
Manufacturing
167.667
20.7%
Trans-Utilities-Info
27.798
3.4%
Trade
85.555
10.6%
Finance-Ins-RE
56.778
7.0%
Services
147.170
18.2%
Government
123.843
15.3%
Total County Economic Output = $808.2 million
White County Economy
Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses OUTPUT
Output in $ Millions
Percent
111.248
13.8%
0.000
0.0%
Construction
117.198
14.5%
Manufacturing
138.627
17.2%
Trans-Utilities-Info
27.798
3.4%
Trade
85.555
10.6%
Finance-Ins-RE
56.778
7.0%
Services
147.170
18.2%
Government
123.843
15.3%
Agriculture + Direct
Mining
Total County Economic Output = $808.2 million
An Economic Snapshot
of White County
¾ How much of White County’s total
economic output comes from food and
fiber production?
¾ AG value alone of $82.2 million
consisting of Farm Gate Value and
landscape services comprises 10.2% of
the county’s economy.
¾ AG plus directly related businesses (ex.
sawmills, flour milling, etc.) comprise
13.8% 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%
White Co.
13.8%
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
White County
Agriculture IMPACT
Direct $ Millions
Indirect $ Millions
82.209
0.000
Construction
0
0.219
Manufacturing
0
0.408
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
1.573
Trade
0
2.473
Finance-Ins-RE
0
2.242
Services
0
4.665
Government
0
2.632
82.209
14.213
Agriculture
Total
Total Impact of Production AG = $96.4 million—11.9% of total
economy
White County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Businesses IMPACT
Agriculture + Direct
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total
Direct $ Millions
Indirect $ Millions
85.638
0.000
25.610
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
111.248
0.000
0.282
1.749
2.512
3.459
2.863
6.097
3.219
20.180
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related=$131.4 million—16.3% of total economy
White County
Production Agriculture + Directly Related Industries
Employment IMPACT
Direct
Indirect
505
0
Construction
0
3
Manufacturing
0
8
Trans-Utilities-Info
0
20
Trade
0
51
Finance-Ins-RE
0
20
Services
0
122
Government
0
4
Agriculture + Direct
Total Impact of AG + Directly Related Employment = 733 Jobs
What These Numbers Mean:
A Brief Explanation
¾ Direct impact is $111 million. This
includes food and fiber production,
processing and directly related
manufacturing.
¾ Indirect impact from the Trade sector is
$3.5 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.
White County Food and Fiber
Impact Conclusions
¾ The total impact of food and fiber
production, processing and direct
manufacturing is $131.4 million.
¾ The total output is $808.2 million.
¾ Thus, food and fiber (directly and
indirectly) account for 16.3% 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%
White Co.
16.3%
Contact Information
Prepared by:
Sue Boatright and 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 Area Report
#0717A
September, 2007