Pub. 7 2018 Issue 6

August 2018 11 l e a d i n g a d v o c a t e f o r t h e b a n k i n g i n d u s t r y i n k a n s a s W hen we talk about economic growth for the state of Kansas, we need to talk about agricultural growth. After all, the agriculture industry contributes nearly $68 billion — about 45 percent — to the state’s economy. With that in mind, for the last three years the Kansas Department of Agriculture has led a statewide effort to look at what it would take for agriculture to grow in Kansas. We held hundreds of meetings among agriculture industry leaders to discuss the opportunities and the barriers for economic growth, and we identified specific growth outcomes for 19 leading sectors in Kansas agriculture. In July, the governor announced the launch of Land in Kansas, a new economic development initiative that will function as a comprehensive, multi-agency approach to economic growth. NEW LAND IN KANSAS INITIATIVE Jackie McClaskey, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture