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Kansas Department of Agriculture outlines export reliance, avian-flu impacts and conservation programs
Summary
Deputy Secretary Kelsey Olson told the House appropriations committee Kansas agriculture remains a major state economic driver, noting export dependence, recent High Path Avian Influenza outbreaks that have affected poultry and dairy producers, and state conservation investments funded through House Bill 20302 and federal partnerships.
Kelsey Olson, deputy secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, told the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 27 that agriculture remains the state’s largest economic sector and that exports and animal‑health threats are shaping producer finances.
Olson said Kansas agriculture supports a direct economic input of about $61,890,000,000 and that the state ranks seventh in total agricultural production. “Approximately one‑third of Kansas’ exports as a whole come from agriculture,” she said, and noted the state exports to roughly 99 countries, with about 80% of export value going to the top five markets: Mexico, Japan, Canada and South Korea.
The nut graph: Kansas producers rely heavily on export markets, and recent federal trade actions and disease outbreaks are stressing prices and supply chains. Olson warned that tariffs and cuts to federal programs could have short‑ and longer‑term effects on farm income while the state advances targeted conservation and water‑resource efforts.
Olson said President Trump’s newly announced tariffs—implemented this week, she said—produced…
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