A new study says Vermont's dairy industry is bringing in big money. The economic assessment, which was funded by the Vermont Dairy Promotion Council, looks at the value that the state's top agriculture product brings to its people.
It's been a decade since such a report has been done, and some of the top findings show:
- The dairy industry brings in $2.2 billion in economic activity a year;
- Dairy accounts for more than 70 percent of the agricultural sales in the state; and
- The huge impact the industry has on the state as a whole.
Diane Bothfeld, Vt. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, said the amount of cash that dairy brings into the state on a daily basis is a "really important factor." She says the industry brings in nearly $3 million a day for Vermont.
Bothfeld, however, added that challenges facing the industry have been at the forefront in Montpelier.
"Water quality is a challenge and definetely there is a focus on that from the governor as well as the legislature," Bothfeld said. "It is an important issue for all dairy farmers as well as other types of farms to work together to imrpove water quality."
The report, which will be presented to the legislature this session, concludes that dairy is paving the way for other agriculture ventures. Dairy, says Bothfeld, is the primary product of Vermont's agricultural community.
To learn more about the report's findings, visit WCAX-TV.