Growing Agriculture

Michigan’s agricultural sector has grown 60 percent over the last decade. At a time when many sectors of Michigan’s economy were suffering, agriculture was our state’s fastest growing industry, with farmers and agricultural businesses expanding, investing and putting people to work.
In April, 2012, Michigan State University released the findings of their study on the impact of the food and agriculture supply chain on Michigan’s economy. The study found that the industry:

•    Contributes about $91.4 billion to the state economy
•    Accounts for an estimated 923,000 jobs, which is nearly 22 percent of total employment in the state

The full text of the report is available here.

As world populations skyrocket, agriculture must seize new growth opportunities to keep up with growing demand and feed the world. ALM has identified several areas where continued growth can be pursued, including:

•    Growing processing capacity in Michigan by adding more facilities
•    Increasing output per acre by using biotechnology and the latest scientific methods
•    Farming further north to increase the amount of acreage being planted

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