Monterey County Agriculture Drives Local Economy with Over $11 Billion Impact, New Report Shows

Monterey County agriculture contributed $11.706 billion into the local economy in 2023 and supported 81,315 jobs, Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Rich Ordonez announced today as he released the latest comprehensive analysis of the county's largest industry.

"This study goes beyond our annual agricultural report," said Ordonez. "Instead of stopping at farm production values, it also quantifies local food processing, employment, and economic ripple effects. The findings offer vital information for anyone who values a vibrant and resilient local economy."

To put the contribution in perspective, Monterey County agriculture pumped $32.1 million dollars into the county economy per day, or more than $1.33 million per hour.

This annual study was conducted for the Office of the Agricultural Commissioner by Drs. Jeff Langholz and Fernando DePaolis of the Monterey-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Key findings include:

• Including local food production, processing, and multiplier effects, agriculture contributed $11.706 billion to the county economy in 2023. This represents more than $32.1 million dollars per day, $1.33 million per hour, and over $22,000 per minute.
• Of the $11.706 billion in total economic contribution, $7.897 billion came from direct economic output via production and processing. An additional $3.809 billion came from multiplier effects generated by purchases of agricultural supplies and spending by employees.
• Agriculture's $7.897 billion in combined direct output from production and processing represented 16.3% of the county's total 2023 economic output of $48.385 billion, about one out of every 6.1 dollars. This made agriculture the largest economic sector in Monterey County by far.
• As the county's largest employer, agriculture directly supported 56,365 employees, approximately one out of every 4.7 jobs in Monterey County, plus another 24,951 (rounded) attributable to multiplier effects.
• Agriculture has a high level of economic diversification across products, which has provided critical stability and resilience to the agricultural industry and to the larger county economy.

The report, "Economic Contributions of Monterey County Agriculture," was released today in conjunction with Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Rich Ordonez's briefing of the Board of Supervisors. The report may be viewed online at: https://countyofmonterey.gov/agcomm. A limited number of printed copies of the report are available at the Agricultural Commissioner's Office at 1428 Abbott Street in Salinas.