The agriculture sector of the U.S. economy grew 16.4 percent
in 2013, the fastest rise since 1998. This sector accounts for forestry,
fishing and hunting and farming (the largest portion), and made up 1.6 percent
of the nation’s total GDP last year. The federal government’s recent estimates
of state economic growth showed an increase in every state except Alaska, due
to declining oil production, and the District of Columbia, due to budget cuts
in government spending. Last year marked the first year in the past three years
that the agriculture sector did better than the overall U.S. economy.
In a New
York Times article, Mitch Morehart, an economist with the Agriculture
Department, attributes much of this growth to rising prices for livestock and a
recovery in production after the 2012 drought. While progress was apparent in
2013, he says this sector does not seem to be doing as well in 2014.
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