Iowa's Turkey Industry: An Economic Review

The Iowa turkey industry is an important agricultural value-added activity providing income and employment opportunities for rural areas in Iowa. The 8.54 million turkeys produced and more than 14 million birds processed in Iowa each year require nearly 2000 full-time equivalent employees. Annual wages and salaries total an estimated $55.6 million of wages and salaries for processing and production. When all direct and secondary effects are considered, the total impacts include $810.7 million of sales, $158.7 million of personal income, $253.3 million of contribution to the gross state product, and about 4,200 jobs.