On Tuesday, May 3, economic research done by the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences was made public.
In a forum attended by those in the Hillsborough County agriculture business and county commissioners Al Higginbotham and Stacy White, Dr. Alan W. Hodges presented the results of studies completed by himself, Dr. Thomas J. Stevens and the UF IFAS department. The presentation, "Economic Contributions of Agribusiness and Food Industries in Hillsborough County, Florida," was a deep dive into the effects of agriculture on the county's economy in 2012 and 2013.
"Hillsborough County has really been blessed with tremendous natural resources and advantages," Hodges said.
The study, which was funded by Hillsborough economic development departments, was based in part on state-wide research done by the IFAS department. The findings included ag-related facts such as these:
- Hillsborough County has some of the highest values for agricultural crops in the state
- The county created nearly 170,000 ag-related jobs, 20.7% of total Hillsborough employment, in 2013
- The county added $11.28 billion in value, 16% of Hillsborough's GDP, in 2013
- The county reported $7.11 billion in labor income for 2013
- The county is the No. 1 producer of ornamental fish in the United States
- The county was the top producer of berries in Florida in 2013, and sixth in the nation (third in the nation for strawberry production)
More information can be found now at www.edis.IFAS.ufl.edu/fe969 and at www.fred.IFAS.ufl.edu/featured-3-menus/extension/economic-impact-analysis-program/. Information concerning the year 2014 will be released in August.