Economic Contribution of Yuma County Agriculture

Abstract

Conducted by the Department of Agriculture & Resource Economic and the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, this study presents an analysis of the economic importance of agriculture and agribusiness in Yuma County, Arizona. In 2015, the Yuma County Agriculture Water Coalition published A Case Study in Efficiency – Agriculture and Water Use in the Yuma, Arizona Area (YCAWC, 2015). The report characterized the then-current state of agricultural water use in Yuma County and detailed how the region has come to be a key agricultural area, producing high-value specialty crops meanwhile maintaining high levels of water use efficiency while operating in a desert environment. This study presents an update to portions of the 2015 study which examined the economic contributions of agriculture to the Yuma County economy. The analysis is divided into four parts

Background information on agriculture in Yuma County, including top crops and seasonality of production. Economic base analysis evaluating the extent of Yuma County’s specialization in agriculture and agribusiness. Water productivity analysis quantifying the region’s agricultural water use efficiency in comparison to other areas. Economic contribution analysis estimating the total economic activity supported by agriculture and agribusiness in Yuma County in 2022.

The study considers agriculture as including on-farm production of crops, livestock, and livestock products; agricultural support services; agricultural input suppliers; and university-linked agricultural research and Extension.