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| Avg Growth | |
| Little/No Change |
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| Decline | |
For Release August 7
Board of Regents Supports Agriculture
PIERRE, SD--Agriculture is the state’s number one industry. It is estimated that total economic impacts of agriculture in South Dakota exceeded $15 billion in 1995. Bearing such a force on South Dakota means that agriculture attracts the attention of policy makers and the university system. Agriculture has undergone many changes in the last century and will continue to change with new technology and changing markets. The public university system will continue to be a supporting pillar for agriculture in South Dakota.
Future employment trends indicate that the agricultural sector will continue to be a factor in selected areas of employment growth and opportunity. Two Ag fields, first-line supervisors and farm and ranch managers, are likely to see growth in job opportunities, while other areas will remain constant or decline. Overall, the employment picture for agriculture will trail the growth in other sectors, particularly manufacturing and service. Jobs in the services are expected to account for almost all of the job growth over the next ten years in South Dakota and the nation. In South Dakota, technology related manufacturing job growth is also expected to outpace other sectors—and already has. Between April 1996 and April 1997, there were 1,600 new manufacturing jobs created. About 75% of these jobs were in computer or computer parts manufacturing.
Expected Employment Growth for
Selected Ag Related Positions for Nation and South Dakota
1994-2005 (SOURCE: US Department of
Labor)
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| Avg Growth | |
| Little/No Change |
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| Decline | |
Fueling this job growth is the steady expansion of agricultural exports in South Dakota. Although Ag exports make up only 8% of the total Ag/manufacturing exports, it is the Ag sector that has shown significant growth since 1993, up 126% almost double the manufacturing sector.
Ag and Manufacturing Exports Are Up: 1993-96
SOURCE: South Dakota International Business
Institute
Many improvements in efficiency and quality for agricultural producers have been the result of cooperative relationships between producers and SDSU/Cooperative Extension. For example with the help of SDSU agricultural research, calf weaning weights have increased from 363 lbs. to 522 lbs. per calf since 1978 and since 1960 milk production has increased from 5,900 lbs. to over 13,400 lbs. per cow. Since 1980, nearly 50% of all building projects for the university system were for agricultural related activities. Consider also that all agricultural activities in the university system account for almost 19% of the state’s general fund support for the entire public university system. The two graphs below show the support of agricultural academic programs and research in South Dakota.
Agricultural Instructional
Budget and Graduates: 1996
SOURCE: Fact Book, Regental System
Operating Budget
Agricultural and Other Universities’ Budgets: FY1997 (in millions)
NOTE: Includes CES, AES, ADRDL,
and College of Ag & Biological Sciences
SOURCE: Regental System Operating Budgets