A new study finds the fertilizer sector contributed more than $162 billion and more 500,000 jobs to the U.S. economy in 2014. The Fertilizer Institute announced the economic impact study this week that the organization says quantifies the fertilizer industry’s contribution to the U.S. economy. The study, conducted for The Fertilizer Institute by John Dunham and Associates, includes the direct contribution, supplier contribution and downstream impact of the entire industry, from manufacturers to wholesalers, retailers and goods and service providers. The results found the fertilizer industry directly employs 85,000 people who produce over $68 billion in output. The nation’s fertilizer retailers alone support more than 43,000 jobs with a total annual payroll of $23 billion. Fertilizer manufacturers and wholesalers combined contribute another 41,000 jobs with a combined annual economic impact of $46 billion.