Kansas agriculture chief presents state export, water and grassland concerns to committee

The Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources heard an update from Mike Beam, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, on the size and threats to the state’s agricultural economy, trade and conservation work.

Beam told the committee that “agriculture as a whole is the largest industry and economic driver in the state,” saying direct agricultural impacts total about $62,000,000,000 and rise to about $88,000,000,000 when indirect and induced effects are counted. He said roughly 260,000 jobs — about 13% of the state’s workforce — are tied to the 73 sectors the department counts as agriculture.

The secretary emphasized trade and exports in his remarks. He said Kansas ranks seventh among states in total agricultural value and seventh in agricultural export value, exporting about $4,600,000,000 in agricultural products and “about 99 products” to markets led by Mexico, Japan, Canada, China and South Korea. Beam listed trade-support organizations that the department partners with, including Food Export Midwest, the U.S. Meat Export Federation and the U.S. Grain…