(AP) — A report for the Nebraska Farm Bureau says irrigation was worth $11 billion to the state in agricultural production during the drought last year.
The study released Tuesday was conducted by Decision Innovation Solutions, of Des Moines, Iowa. The study estimated the total impact that irrigated agriculture had on the Nebraska economy in 2012. The economic impact estimates compared Nebraska’s economic activity with and without farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to irrigate last year.
The study also says Nebraska would have had more than 31,000 fewer jobs without irrigation. More than a third of them are outside of direct crop production.
The Nebraska Farm Bureau is an industry group representing more than 56,000 farm and ranch families in the state.
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