Andale farmer Kent Winter was interviewed by KWCH12 News. When asked about data coming from the National Agricultural Statistics Service saying the number of farms in Kansas had decreased by 600 in 2015, Winters said he wasn’t surprised. Low grain prices due to greater supply than demand; a stronger US dollar making imports more expensive for other countries; and attrition have all played a role according to Winters.
Kent Winter is hoping his farming operation, which includes alfalfa, corn, sorghum, soybeans and wheat, can simply break even this year. Though harvests are expected to be good in Kansas this year, Winter expects them to be good in South American countries as well.
2016 is expected to be a tough year for Kansas farmers. Farm owners who might have been on the verge of retiring or getting out of the business may not be able to survive the year (or years) ahead.
The number of acres farmed in Kansas did not change. Kansas still has 46 million acres of land in farms and ranches. But now there are fewer farmers with larger operations. The complete interview is available here.
