17 August 2023
MANHATTAN (KSNT) – Governor Laura Kelly shared actions her administration is taking to solve water and workforce shortages on Thursday at the 2023 Eighth annual Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Growth.
More than 400 agricultural leaders, representing various agricultural interests across the state, were assembled for the summit. Some areas Kelly highlighted were investments into water-saving infrastructure and expanding registered apprenticeships.
“Despite the many hurdles thrown our way – including the ongoing drought, which has devastated this summer’s wheat harvest – the Kansas ag industry remains strong,” Kelly said. “There’s no doubt: Kansas remains a worldwide powerhouse in agriculture. But it’s also clear that to keep our ag industry modern and competitive, we have to solve two major challenges facing us: water and workforce shortages.”
Governor Laura Kelly kicked off the eighth annual Kansas Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Growth on Thursday. (Photo courtesy of the Office of the Governor)
The U.S. Drought Monitor uses the term exceptional drought to label very dry areas. A report released May 18 said 35.5% of the state fits that category.
In 2022, the agriculture industry contributed $76 billion to the Kansas economy, made up 14% of Kansas’ workforce and provided 250,000 jobs, according to the Office of the Governor. Earlier this week, Kelly announced Kansas had exported a record $5.5 billion in agricultural goods.
In 2022, Mexico was Kansas’ largest importer with $2.169 billion in agricultural goods. Of Kansas’ agricultural goods, Mexico’s largest imports were cereals, oilseed and meat, edible offal.
“Many of the initiatives that have contributed to Kansas agriculture were the result of discussions here at the Ag Growth Summit,” Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam said. “We appreciate the commitment of leaders and producers who take time to engage in active discussion about what can be done to drive growth and how we can collaborate to move agriculture forward to benefit the state of Kansas.”
Beam will recognize the 2023 Kansas Agricultural Heros and provide a summary of Kansas’ workforce and water to close the conference.