Northwest Iowa — A comprehensive review of Iowa’s dairy industry details its importance to the state and regional economies.
Northwest Iowa Extension dairy specialist Fred Hall says the report, which is done every five years, shows the state’s dairy industry is having a significant impact and it’s continuing to gain momentum.
(As above) Hall says, “The industry represents about 15,600 jobs and the impact of each single dairy cow in the state to the community is about $25,500 dollars.”
It’s not just about the milk, as Hall says the spin-off benefits from all dairy products contribute heavily to each Iowa community where there’s a dairy farm.
(As above) “They can bottle it for milk, they can make cheese, yogurt, dried powder,” Hall says. “Really, once it leaves the farm, it has a tremendous application.”
The report says the prospects for Iowa’s dairy producers are bright as milk and milk products are in high demand globally.
(As above) “The export of dairy product into growing countries is tremendous,” Hall says. “As our population grows in this country, we find a bigger market every day for milk.”
He notes that’s not necessarily just fluid milk but all of the other products created with milk. The report shows dairy revenue is expected to continue to rise by more than one percent to close to $40 billion.
