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If California were a country, it would rank fifth to ninth among the world's nations in the value of its agriculture, according to a report by the UC Agricultural Issues Center.

The unpublished report, "Agriculture's Role in the Economy," is now available on the Web at: . The report is intended as the fifth chapter in a forthcoming book, "The Measure of California Agriculture." Center staff posted it online so that other researchers and policy analysts can begin to use the data right away.

"California agriculture is large, diverse, complex and dynamic," said center director Daniel Sumner, a professor of agricultural and resource economics at ºÙºÙÊÓƵ. "It contributes significantly to the economies of the state and nation."

The report found that California farms and related processing industries generate 7.3 percent of the state's private-sector jobs and account for 5.6 percent of labor income. The calculations include ripple effects. They are based on an analysis of data from the 2002 U.S. Census of Agriculture. The census is the most recent one available.

In addition to looking at the state as a whole, the report also analyzes agriculture's economic impact on the Central Valley, San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Valley and Central Coast regions of California.

Established in 1985, the UC Agricultural Issues Center serves as forum for the study of important trends and issues involving California agriculture.