Kansas’ dairy industry has grown significantly during the past two decades, with an outlook for continued growth. Milk production in Kansas during October 2020 totaled more than 330 million pounds. This is up 4% from last year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
There are twice as many dairy cows in Kansas as there were twenty years ago. As of October, more than 170,000 dairy cows were in circulation. This number is 7,000 more than last year, the USDA reported.
According to Michael Brouk, Ph.D., a dairy specialist at K-State Research and Extension, Kansas dairy farmers added approximately 3,500 cows each year. Brouk expects this growth to continue. The trend to increase the herd started during the early 1990s when several dairies moved from other states to western Kansas due to the area’s less-expensive and available land, large feed supply and ideal temperatures. On the other hand, lack of both water and employees, remain challenges for growth.
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