The large economic footprint of Oregon agriculture, Dec. 4

Updated OSU study confirms the sizable contribution ag makes to Oregon’s economy
Oregon agriculture’s large impact on the state’s economy is reaffirmed by an updated analysis and report released by Oregon State University. The OSU study, commissioned by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, quantifies the contributions of producers, processors, and others in a variety of economic snapshots ranging from sales to employment. The report, Oregon Agriculture, Food and Fiber: An Economic Analysis, builds on previous OSU studies done in 2008 and 2011 to assess agriculture’s economic footprint and ripple effect on the state. Using a variety of currently available data, the report generally shows that the industry continues its steady growth. Specifically, it finds agriculture is directly and indirectly linked to about $50 billion in sales of goods and services, which is more than 13 percent of the statewide total of sales involving all industry sectors. The report also finds that Oregon agriculture directly or indirectly supports more than 326,000 full or part-time jobs, making up almost 14 percent of total jobs in the state. Overall, Oregon agriculture is responsible for $22.9 billion or 10.6 percent of the net state product.