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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

South Coast Agricultural Sales and Employment Estimates

The market value of all agriculture products sold in Coos County was $41.3 million in 2007. Curry’s total agricultural product sales market value was $19.7 million.

Most farms lose money. In Oregon, about two-thirds of farms reported net losses in 2007, with production expenses exceeding the value of sales plus government payments and other farm-related income. The South Coast fared a bit better; about 55 percent of all farms showed a loss. In Coos County, net farm income in 2002 was over $2 million. By 2007, the number rose showing net farm income of operations reaching $12.4 million. Curry County posted net farm income in 2002 of $887,000. By 2007 income was up to $7.8 million.

Not everyone who is the principal operator of a farm considers farming to be their primary occupation. There were 360 such individuals in Curry County in 2007, which is 48.3 percent of the county’s 746 farm operators. In Curry County, 76 out of 195 (49%) principal farm operators were also in this category.

Coos County had 14,650 harvested acres in 2008, while Curry County had 3,353.


For more information, you can examine data from the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s agricultural statistics webpage, or the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.


This is an excerpt from the South Coast Labor Trends publication, by Regional Economist Guy Tauer. Explore our Local Labor Trends site to find the local publication in your area.

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