Ag pays. A recent analysis, conducted by the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City, the American Royal, and the Kansas Department of Agriculture, found that agriculture and its related businesses have a $29.3 billion economic impact and support 114,503 jobs in the Greater Kansas City area.
The study examined the influence of 74 agriculture, food, and food processing sectors in 20 counties around the Greater Kansas City area. These agribusiness sectors accounted for 7.7 percent of the entire workforce in the area and contributed approximately 22 percent of the gross regional product for the region.
In the agribusiness sector, landscaping and horticulture were the top employers with 9,965 employees. Beef cattle ranching was a close second with 8,438 employees. The animal processing industry (excluding poultry) directly delivers $2.1 billion to the regional economy.
If other related retail sectors such as restaurants, food and beverage stores, garden and farm supply businesses were included in the study, agribusiness would have a 16.9 percent impact on the region’s employment and would hold 29.59 percent of the gross regional product.
