See the 2017 economic contributions of the Florida cattle industry, courtesy of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association.
The Florida cattle industry is an important component of Florida’s ag industry, which is second only to the tourism industry in terms of revenue and impact in The Sunshine State. The University of Florida’s Institute of Agriculture and Food Sciences (UF/IFAS) recently put together a snapshot of the FL cattle industry for the Florida Cattlemen’s Association and others showing the 2017 economic contributions. See the details below.
Economic Contributions of the Florida Cattle Industry
The Florida beef cattle industry is a major force in Florida’s economy. The UF/IFAS data included the following details:
Land Use: In Florida in 2017, the beef industry utilized 5.4 million acres for improved pasture, rangeland, and dairy cattle production; this represents 15.6% of Florida’s land area.
Direct Contributions: Beef cattle farming employed over 8,000 Floridians and had a revenue of $640 million in 2017. Beef-related livestock, dairy products, and meat wholesalers employed over $4,000 and brought in revenue of $984 million. Retail sales of beef and dairy products employed over 34,000 and generated $2.296 billion in revenue. Lastly, allied services employed over 3,000 and brought in revenue of $480 million.
Total Contributions: According to the UF/IFAS data, both beef and dairy cattle industry efforts also generate additional economic inputs that contribute to the Florida economy. Industry outputs of the beef/dairy industry totaled over $16 billion, it employed over 118,00, and was value at $7.653 billion as a gross state product. Additionally, the data revealed that for every $1 of direct output in the beef and dairy cattle industry, a total of $2 worth of output is contributed to Florida’s economy.
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.