The Economic Importance
of Food and Fiber
A Spotlight on Dade County, Georgia
Prepared for:
Dade County Cooperative Extension
April, 2006
by:
The Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
Total Population
Dade County
16,993
2010 Trend CAED
16,040
2005 Est.
15,154
2000
13,147
1990
12,318
1980
9,910
1970
8,666
1960
7,364
1950
5,894
1940
4,146
1930
0
3,000
6,000
9,000
12,000
15,000
18,000
Primary data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, decennial censuses & estimate; CAED (Center for Agribusiness &
Economic Development.
Population Change: 2000-2005
LOSS
0 – 5.3%
5.3 – 10.8%
10.8 – 21.6%
21.6 – 42.7%
Dade Co.
5.8%
Primary data source: U.S. Census Bureau
Avg. GA
County =
7.2%
GA = 10.8%
US = 5.3%
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%
Dade Co.
77%
Primary data sources:
U.S. Census of Agriculture, 2002
Forest Statistics for Georgia, 1997
Components of 2004 Property Tax Gross Digest
Dade County
Residential
54.4%
Ag-PreferentialEnv-Conserv
11.1%
Timber *
0.06%
Mobile Home
1.2%
Motor Vehicle
9.1%
Primary data source:
GA Dept. of Revenue
Commercial
11.4%
Industrial
5.7%
40% Assessment Value of Property
Public Utility
Gross Digest = $338,447,916
4.0% STATE Homestead & Property Exemptions = $18,116,699
Net M&O Digest = $320,331,217
Value of exempt property = $17,072,694
* Timber taxed at 100% based on previous year sales
County Property Tax Digest Comparisons: 2004
County
% ResiDential
% Agri- % Com- % In% Motor
cultural mercial dustrial Vehicle
%
Other
DADE
54.4
14.1
11.4
5.7
9.1
5.2
CATOOSA
55.0
7.2
15.8
9.2
9.2
3.7
CHATTOOGA
39.6
18.2
9.6
20.0
8.9
3.6
WALKER
57.0
7.6
10.2
11.9
9.4
4.0
WHITFIELD
37.1
3.5
21.1
27.4
7.6
3.2
Avg. GA Co.
40.7
20.8
13.2
7.9
9.0
8.4
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 2004 Farm Gate Value was
$10.3 billion. Adding the value of
landscape services increased the total
agricultural production value to $11.2
billion.
¾ Total food and fiber production and
directly related businesses account for
a $49.3 billion impact on Georgia's
$557 billion economy.
Production Agriculture: 2004
Georgia Total
Agricultural
Production Value
$11.2 Billion
Other Income
4.1%
Poultry &
Eggs
41.5%
Landscape
services
10.2%
Fruits & Nuts
2.0%
Forestry &
Products
5.3%
Ornamental
Horticulture
5.7%
Vegetables
6.3%
Livestock &
Aquaculture
11.4%
Row &
Forage Crops
13.4%
$0 - $20
$20 - $45
$45 - $80
$80 - $200
$200 - $325
2004 Farm Gate
Value by County
in Millions of Dollars
What We Know
about Dade County
¾ 2004 Farm Gate Value in Dade Co.
was $24.6 million. Adding $661
thousand of landscape services
increased the total agricultural
production value to $25.2 million.
¾ The highest value commodity group
was poultry/eggs, representing 78%
of the total agricultural production
value.
Dade County
2004 Agricultural Production Value
2004 Agricultural Production
2004 Top Farm Gate Commodities
Vegetables
Fruits-Nuts
Forestry 2.0%
Other Landscape
Orn Hort 0.1%
1.1% services
2.1%
Livestock2.2%
Aquaculture
2.6%
10.4%
Row-Forage
crops
1.6%
Greenhouse
1.9%
Timber
Breeder Pullet
2.1%
Units
2.9%
Horses
3.9%
Pumpkin Hay Irish Potatoes
1.3% 1.2%
0.6%
Rest of
commodities
2.4%
Beef
6.7%
Poultry-Eggs
78.0%
Layershatching egg
21.8%
Total AG Value = $25.2 million
Broilers
55.4%
Trends in Dade County:
Number of Farms & Average Farm Size
Number of Farms, Dade County
Average Farm Size
300
800
Dade Co.
Georgia
700
600
218
A cres
200
500
400
253
300
110
100
200
100
Source: 1945
-
2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
R
02
20
97
92
19
87
19
19
82
78
19
19
74
69
19
19
64
59
19
19
54
19
19
1945 1949 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1978 1982 1987 1992 1997R 2002
19
45
0
49
0
Trends in Dade County:
Land in Farms & Farms by Size
Land in Farms
Dade County
Percent of Farms by Size, 2002
50
Dade Co.
Georgia
Acres X 1,000
70
40
60
50
40
30
30
27.873
20
20
10
10
0
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
0
Source: 1945
-
1-9 acres
2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
10-49
acres
50-179
acres
180-499
acres
500-999
acres
1000+
acres
Trends in Dade County
Number of Farms by Commodity
151
160
140
120
1987
1992
1997
2002
114
100
80
60
40
17
20
0
Beef cows
Source: 1987
-
Broilers sold
2002 (quinquennial) Censuses of Agriculture
Hay
How Do We Compare ?
Georgia, Dade and Surrounding Counties
Farm Gate Value
$ Per Farm (thousands)
$1,800
$1,600
$1,400
$1,200
$1,000
$800
$600
$400
$200
$0
ia
g
r
o
Ge
$ Per Acre
$1,613
$957
$209
de
a
D
$1,341
$734
$882
$97
$148
a
sa
g
o
o
to
tto
a
Ca
Ch
$262
$44
$93
ld
er
e
k
i
l
f
it
h
Wa
W
Sources: 2002 Census of Agriculture and 2004 Farm Gate Value Report
$139
What We Did
¾ The Center for Agribusiness
and Economic Development
performed an analysis of the
county’s economy, focusing
on the role of
food and fiber.
Dade County Economy
Agriculture OUTPUT
Agriculture
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Output in $ Millions
Percent
25.246
0.110
42.702
206.101
22.279
32.603
16.119
66.764
60.720
5.34
0.02
9.03
43.61
4.71
6.90
3.41
14.13
12.85
Total County Economic Output = $472.6 million
An Economic Snapshot
of Dade County
¾ How much of Dade County’s total
economic output comes from food and
fiber production?
¾ Ag value of $25.2 million consisting of
Farm Gate Value and landscape
services comprises 5.3% of the
county’s economy.
Food and Fiber Production, Processing and Direct
Manufacturing as % of Total Output
0 - 10%
10 - 20%
20 - 40%
40 - 60%
60 - 84%
Dade Co.
5.3%
What is the Impact?
¾What is the total (direct and
indirect) impact of food and fiber
production?
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 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
Dade County
Agriculture IMPACT
Direct $ Millions
25.246
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
25.246
Indirect $ Millions
0
0.000
0.087
0.120
0.428
0.544
0.359
1.065
0.769
3.371
Agriculture
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total
Total Impact of Production AG = $28.6 million – 6.1% of total economy
Dade County
Production Agriculture Employment IMPACT
Direct
338
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Indirect
0
0
1
1
2
11
3
22
1
Agriculture
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trans-Utilities-Info
Trade
Finance-Ins-RE
Services
Government
Total Impact of AG Related Employment = 380 Jobs
What These Numbers Mean:
A Brief Explanation
¾ Direct impact is $25.2 million. This
includes food and fiber production,
processing and directly related
manufacturing.
¾ Indirect impact from the Trade sector is
$544 thousand. 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.
Dade County Food and Fiber
Impact Conclusions
¾ The total impact of food and fiber
production is $25.2 million.
¾ The total output is $472.6 million.
¾ Thus, food and fiber (directly and
indirectly) account for 6.1% of the
total output.
Food and Fiber Production, Processing and Direct
Manufacturing Impact as % of Total Output
0 - 10%
10 - 20%
20 - 40%
40 - 60%
60 - 100%
Dade Co.
6.1%
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 County Area Report
#06 14A
April, 2006