Editorial: Georgia Agricultural Awareness Week

Published 2:00 pm Wednesday, March 20, 2019

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has declared this week Georgia Agricultural Awareness Week.

As the state’s top industry, agriculture contributed $73.4 billion to Georgia’s economy in 2017, according to the University of Georgia’s Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development (CAED). Food and fiber production and the process of getting raw materials to consumers resulted in 391,300 jobs in 2017, according to the center.

The 2017 total farm gate value for Georgia agricultural commodities is $13.7 billion. In 2017, the top five Georgia commodities in order of value were broilers, cotton, eggs, peanuts and timber, according to the CAED.

“As Georgia’s oldest and largest industry, agriculture represents over $73 billion in our state’s economy and employs one in seven Georgians. Our state is a leader in peanuts, blueberries, poultry, and countless other commodities, and our hardworking farm families put food on tables across the globe,” said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in a press release. “Agriculture Awareness Week is an excellent opportunity for all of us to highlight our thriving agriculture industry, and Marty and I thank the Department of Agriculture and Commissioner Gary Black for championing this effort.”

“We should thank our farmers every day for the blessings they give us by providing the most abundant and safe food supply in the world,” said Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, in a press release. “But this week gives us that extra little nudge to take a moment to a really appreciate the importance of agriculture in our state and the key role it plays in our communities and overall state economy.”