The agricultural industry contributes over $4 billion to the Imperial County economy.

County Agriculture Commissioner Carlos Ortiz released a comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of agriculture on the local economy. According to Ortiz , " The study goes beyond our annual agriculture report. It captures not just the direct effects of farm production  , but also local food processing , employment , and their ripple effects". The study shows , of the $4.364 billion in total economic contribution , $2.919 billion came from direct economic output via production and processing. That's 23.9% of the county's total direct economic output. An additional $1.445 billion came from multiplier effects , including purchase of agricultural supplies and spending by employees. The study shows that one out of eery six jobs in Imperial County is in the agriculture sector with significant jobs made possible by expenditures by agriculture companies , their suppliers and employees. 

The report was prepared by Drs. Jeff Lanholz and Fernando DePaolis of Agricultural Impact Associates , a firm specializing in agriculture economics.