Report: California animal agriculture is a job creator

image
Author: Chris Hinyub
Published: 30 Nov, 2011
Updated: 13 Oct, 2022
1 min read

Over the past decade, California dairies, ranches and livestock farms have created 17,000 jobs for the state. A new report that analyzes federal data from 2000 to 2010 shows that the $289 billion a year animal agriculture industry has grown in California, buoying the state's position as one of the top farm economies in the nation.

The report, prepared by Promar International, estimates that in 2010, animal-ag impacted national household earnings by $51 billion and sustained more than 1.8 million jobs across all states. But the economic benefits of animal agriculture extended beyond the private sector. According to the report, the federal government generates an extra $13 billion in income tax revenue from livestock and dairy farmers each year, while states garner some $6 billion from agricultural property taxes.

The report notes that California saw some of the biggest increases in total economic impact from animal agriculture since 2000, which was mainly induced by the state's burgeoning dairy and beef sectors. These sectors employ many people in the transportation and processing of their products. California is one of a handful of states where the industry's employment impact has topped 100,000 jobs in all. The Golden State also saw the largest increase in tax revenue from animal-ag over the ten-year period covered by the study.

California will remain a growth state for animal agriculture employment in the long-term, says the report. Other states that have gained more than 10,000 animal-ag related jobs from 2000 to 2010 include Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Oklahoma. States that have lost a significant number of jobs due to a contraction in animal agriculture include Arkansas, Colorado, Florida and Utah.

To read the full report along with detailed data visit here (PDF).

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read