While most industries struggled during the recession, there is one that remained pretty steady: California’s agriculture sector.
No matter how you look at it, the numbers don’t lie-California’s economy as a whole is slowly recovering. The Golden State’s unemployment rate dropped to 10.1 percent in October, a slight decrease from September’s 10.2 percent.
The business and professional services industry is leading the way. Information technology jobs are also driving job gains, especially in the San Jose – Bay Area regions.
And farming has remained a bright spot for California. In 2012, farm revenues totaled $43.5 billion, which is more than $5 billion growth from the year before. The industry is seeing great success thanks in part to exports and the demand for healthy foods the state grows.
In order to ensure continued growth and success in agriculture, there are some important state issues that need to be addressed. The biggest? Water.
Some of those concerns were discussed at the recent Milken Institute’s California Summit.
Those in ag business gathered to talk about the future of farming and water in California.
