Connecticut’s Agricultural Industry Generates Up To $4 Billion A Year

By Joe O’Leary

October 30 @ 10:00 am

A new analysis of Connecticut’s agricultural industry found that it generates as much as $4 billion annually, around $1,000 per Connecticut resident, and supports up to 31,000 jobs statewide.

The report, a joint effort between the Department of Agriculture, UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and Farm Credit East, underscored the significant impact the agricultural industry has on the state’s economy and systems.

The report delved into information about Connecticut’s farming and growing from 2015 to 2022. It encompassed the industry’s crops, livestock, fisheries and forest production, as well as processing agricultural and seafood production. By studying the industry, the report’s authors were able to reaffirm the importance of agriculture — a sometimes underappreciated sector, despite its historical significance dating back to colonial times.

Despite Connecticut’s small size, 11% of its land is farmland and another 50,000 acres represent leased shellfish beds on the Long Island Sound. Although other New England states are more famous for agricultural output, Connecticut ranks third in the region for farm sales.

From 2015 to 2022, when Connecticut farmers weathered the impact of the pandemic, the industry expanded by 22%, with more than $150 million in additional sales growth. There was significant growth in sales of processed animal products like dairy manufacturing and meat processing, as well as poultry, egg, fruit, vegetable and greenhouse production. Sectors like aquaculture, commercial fishing and milk manufacturing fell during that time. Commercial hunting and trapping, in particular, grew by more than 1,000% during those seven years.

The report detailed concerns that aquaculture and fishing production fell between 2015 and 2022 due to a regional decline in wild-caught fish and clam production, which may be a consequence of climatic conditions. Tobacco sales also fell, representing a national reduction in tobacco consumption related to public health efforts.

The report identified a number of trends including local food becoming more popular in Connecticut and around the country. Meanwhile, the greenhouse industry, ice cream manufacturing and butter manufacturing are likely to continue their growth in coming years. Only tobacco farming seemed poised to continue trending downward in the coming years, with the rest of the industry’s struggling segments having potential for recovery with refocusing.