Robertson County: 2008 Agricultural Economic Profile

Employment in Agriculture and Forestry made up 9.5% of total jobs created in Robertson County in 2008 with 2,694 total jobs in these sectors. Primary agriculture crops were the largest job creator with 1,773 jobs or 66% of total agriculture jobs created. Overall, the forestry industry created 571 jobs or 2.1% of total agriculture and forestry jobs created in 2008.

The value of Agriculture Outputs totaled $456M in 2008 and was 10% of the total Robertson County economy in 2008. There were over $115M worth of primary agricultural products and services produced with grain farming, tobacco and nurseries as the top three producers. Ninety-seven percent (97%) of the County’s secondary agricultural outputs consisted of tobacco manufacturing ($190M) and pet food manufacturing ($134M).

The value of Forestry Outputs totaled $102M or 2.4% of the total Robertson County economy in 2008. Commercial logging was a $23M industry in Robertson County that supported 76 jobs in 2008 passing wood through sawmills, and eventually supported the $69M homebuilding industry of cabinets, furniture, and prefabricated home construction materials.

2008 Agriculture Economic Summary Data

Definitions:

• Output (Total Economic Activity): Annual dollar value of the goods and services that an industry produces
• Employment: Average annual jobs, both full and part-time. Not full-time equivalents
• Employee Compensation: Wages, salaries, benefits, and total contributions to Social Security/Medicare
• Proprietor Income: Self-employment income, including salary, benefits and total contributions to Social Security/Medicare
• Other Property Type Income: Dividends, interest, rent, corporate profits, and capital depreciation
• Indirect Business Taxes: All business taxes and fees paid to governments including sales and excise taxes
• Total Value Added: Gross regional product derived from the income paid to the owners of the factors of production in the model year

Source: 2008 IMPLAN Data, Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc., www.implan.com

Special Thanks: Agri-Industry Modeling & Analysis Group (AIMAG), Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, University of Tennessee (Robert Menard, Dr. Burton C. English, Dr. Kim Jensen)

Produced by: Cumberland Region Tomorrow – Rural Issues Committee

View the 2008 Agricultural Economic Profile: Robertson County, PDF