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.