Degree Name
Master of Science
Department or Program
Agribusiness Economics
Advisor
Sanders. Dwight R.
Abstract
The dairy subsector of agriculture is the fourth largest subsector in agriculture (Qi et al., 2015). The annual loss due to heat stress in the livestock industry is estimated around $1.69-$2.36 billion with the dairy industry incurring around $879-$1500 million of those losses (St-Pierre et al., 2003). This loss can grow and become more of an issue as climate change and its effects becomes a more noticeable and prevalent problem in agriculture. This thesis will examine the effects of weather on the dairy production as well as examine the dairy industry in two different states, Texas and Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania being deeply rooted in dairy production being a main supplier of dairy. Texas being an up-and-coming dairy state that has seen significant growth in the past several years.