San Luis Obispo County’s agricultural and livestock sectors generated $3.4 billion in total economic activity in 2024, according to a newly released economic study.
Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer Martin Settevendemie announced the report Wednesday, August 19 describing it as confirmation of agriculture’s place among the county’s most influential industries.
“Agriculture contributes far more to our community than what we capture in the annual crop report,” Settevendemie said. “This report illustrates agriculture’s significant influence on our economy and the daily lives of our residents. It examines agriculture’s economic reachfrom on-farm production to processing and support servicesand the ripple effects those activities create throughout our local economy.”
The study finds agricultural activity injects $9.3 million into the county’s economy every day more than $390,000 each hour and about $6,500 per minute.
The key findings from the report include:
Total agricultural output of $3.4 billion reflects a 34.3% increase from the county’s 2019 economic report.
Direct agricultural output from production and processing reached over $2.3 billion, representing 6.1% of San Luis Obispo County’s total economy. Multiplier effects driven by business and employee spending added over $1 billion more.
Agricultural employment totaled 19,177 positions. Of those, 12,015 jobs were directly tied to agricultural production and processing, marking a 43.2% increase over 2019 figures.
After adjusting for inflation, agricultural production value increased $189.3 million over the last decade, a growth rate of 22.6%.
A recognized diversity index used in the study recorded its highest score in 10 years, indicating a broad and resilient agricultural economy.