A new study shows farmers and ranchers in Idaho are continuing to play a bigger role in boosting the state's economy. A report released by University of Idaho researchers shows farm cash receipts for 2011 are projected at $7.4 billion, which is a 29 percent increase compared with 2010, when farm cash receipts increased by 12 percent compared to 2009.
University economist Garth Taylor says nearly every crop and livestock sector posted strong gains in 2011. The report shows farm net income, or the money farmers and ranchers kept, fared even better and rose 88 percent last year to $2.6 billion.John Hammel is dean of the university's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and says the report highlights the importance agricultural products continue to play in the state's overall economy. PD
—AP newswire report
