Agriculture: Alabama's No. 1 Industry

Did you know that for generations Alabama families have dedicated their lives to creating a $4.7 billion business—Alabama's largest. There are 48,000 people in Alabama who call themselves farmers. But today, agriculture reaches far beyond the farm gate.

The agribusiness industry in Alabama accounts for 476,000 jobs. These jobs account for annual earnings of more than $9 billion. That's 21 percent of the state's workforce. In fact, 85 percent of all jobs created by agriculture are not on the farm at all. They include farm equipment dealers, seed and feed suppliers, food processors, exporters and retailers.

Together, these industries account for more than $43 billion or 22 percent of the state's direct output—more than any other industry.


Source: Alabama Farmer's Federation