Louisiana agriculture contributed $8.3 billion to the state’s economy in 2009, which was the lowest contribution since 2002 and down from $9.5 billion in 2008, according to the latest figures compiled by the LSU AgCenter in its annual Ag Summary, which was released Monday.


In 2002, the contribution was $7.5 billion, and the high in the intervening years was $10.9 billion in 2007, said LSU AgCenter economist John Westra, who serves as project director of this annual survey, which has been conducted since 1978.


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