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Changes in Farm and Food Sector Contributions Over Time Data for 1974-87 suggest that agriculture remains a vital and important contributor to the state's economic we11-being. Per capita income in the farm dependent and important counties increased significantly from 1984 to 1987. By 1987, many of the farm dependent counties were among the leaders in th~ state in per capita income. Agribusiness sector income was 8.0 percent of total state income in 1974, fell to 4.1 percent in 1982, and rebounded from that low to 4.7 percent in 1987. Since 1974, the share of Colorado labor and proprietor income coming from the farm and food system declined from 12.8 percent to 9.8 percent. However, since 1977, the decline has been a modest 0.5 percent. Some of these trends in income and employment are sig- nificant, but they must be kept in perspective Significant growth in the state's economy between 1973 and 1987 oc- curred in the metropolitan counties and in sectors outside the farm and food system. Substantial growth in the economies of metropolitan counties obscures the fact that agriculture remains the dominant business in the agri- business dependent and important counties. In this group of counties, the agribusiness sector and the total farm and food system are maintaining and, more recently, increas- ing their importance in both absolute and relative terms. 1660 Importance of Farm and Food System 20 19 18 17 l;h16 .S 15 e I' .1113 il1Z 011 H 10 'a: 9 ~ : ~'",,+, ~ 6 '+~. ~ -"11-. +-+.+-+....+--+.+.++---r... 3 ~.~ Z ......."..-................".._.........~........._.~ 1- o .'. 1974197519761977197819791980 1981 19821983 1984 1985 1986 1987 I ---.+, -. ---..................... .. .. A........ .....-.. -. ........... ...-.............. . Farm Income Earnings Category + Agribusiness . Fann and Food This fact sheet summarizes data presented in Colorado's Farm qnd Food System: Farm and Agribusiness Contribu- tions to the Colorado Economy, 551 A, by T.A. Miller, S.L. Gray and W.L. Trock. Partial funding for the summary and bulletin were provided by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Requests for the bulletin should be directed to the Bulletin Room, COlorado State University. CoIO~<Ig University Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado 80523