Agriculture Adds $15B to Economy

Agriculture is the source of 20 cents of every dollar generated in the Arkansas economy, according to a research report from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
Research in Impact of the Agricultural Sector on the Arkansas Economy showed agricultural activity adds $15.28 billion to the state economy, while the gross state product is $74.54 billion. The authors based their information on economic data from 2003, the latest available.
In 2003, the agricultural sector accounted for 10.1 percent of Arkansas’ gross state product, down from 10.6 percent in 2001. Production contributed $2.4 billion, 3.2 percent, and processing $5.1 billion, or 6.9 percent of GSP.
Compared to neighboring states, agriculture accounted for 2.9 percent of the GSP of Louisiana, 8.5 percent in Mississippi, 4.9 percent in Missouri, 4.3 percent in Oklahoma, 4.9 percent in Tennessee and 2.8 percent in Texas.
Agriculture accounted for nearly one of every five jobs in the state, providing 286,940 jobs. Of these jobs, one in six are related to poultry production and processing.