NORWICH – Even though the dairy industry remains the largest industry in Chenango County, the number of dairy farms and cows in the county are on a drastic decline as is milk production, leading local officials to support the creation of a new position - a dairy profitability specialist to help local farmers thrive in the face of high demand.

The Chenango County Board of Supervisors has adopted a resolution supporting the creation of a dairy profitability specialist within the Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest New York Program, a program funded by the New York’s SUNY budget. The position will assist Chenango County dairy farmers in making their business more lucrative in spite of what many dairy farmers call a flawed milk marketing system.

According to research spearheaded by Ken Smith, executive director for the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County, the dairy industry has taken a hit in Chenango over the last two decades, with a decrease in milk production and cow numbers despite statewide growth in milk production, thanks to increases in production in the Western and Northern New York and Capitol regions.

The number of dairy farms in Chenango County alone is now 170, more than 100 fewer dairy farms than in 1999. Moreover, the number of cows in the county has fallen by more than 7,300 (35 percent) in that same time, leading to an economic loss of more than $100 million in Chenango, Otsego and Delaware counties; $30 million per year in Chenango alone.