This week’s AnimalAgCast comes from the 2016 World Dairy Expo, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last week in Madison, Wisconsin. Ben Brancel, Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, sat down with AgWired’s Lizzy Schultz to discuss several current issues facing Wisconsin’s diverse agriculture industry.
In this week’s podcast Secretary Brancel highlighted dairy prices, which remain low worldwide, the impact recent flooding has had on Wisconsin farmers and growers, and the recent decision by the University of Wisconsin-Madison to close the dairy sheep research program in Spooner, Wisconsin.
“When we’ve had a downturn in prices in the past, we’ve had a disaster-mode feeling and look, but I don’t sense that this time. Individual people on various farms are very stressed out, but in general the dairy industry is very upbeat,” he said during the podcast. “They see a future that is very bright, they’re talking about the investments in the processing industry, they’re talking about the total volume of milk that’s being produced, although managing that volume is challenging, and we’re hearing from the banking community that things are still ok financially in the big picture.”
Listen to the full podcast here:
AnimalAgCast with Ben Brancel, WI Secretary of Ag
View and download photos from the event here: 2016 World Dairy Expo Photo Album
