WI to Promote State's Dairy 30x20 Program at Dairy Expo

By CnAgri2012-09-18 19:49:52 Print

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture will be encouraging visitors to World Dairy Expo next month to choose the 'Dairy State' as the place to do business. State Agriculture Secretary Ben Brancel says Wisconsin is home to 1.27 million dairy cows on over 11,000 farms, more dairy farms than any other state in the nation.

"Wisconsin is known for its dairy farms, equipment, processors, dairy-focused universities and trade schools, support services, marketers and technology," Brancel says. "There is a demand for fresh, high-quality milk for Wisconsin's dairy processing industry, and DATCP continues to work to provide the support needed to retain and recruit dairy farmers to our state."

Last year, Wisconsin's dairy cows produced 26.1 billion pounds of milk, much of which is used to make the state's award-winning cheeses. The state also produces more cheese than any other state with over 600 types, styles and varieties.

Meanwhile, Brancel says World Dairy Expo will be an excellent way to promote the state's new 'Grow Wisconsin Dairy 30x20' initiative as a commitment to the long-term viability of Wisconsin's dairy industry. He notes that by offering services and resources to help dairy farmers increase profitability, Wisconsin will, in turn, be able to achieve an annual milk production of 30 billion pounds by 2020 to meet the growing demand of the marketplace.