By Pat Bradley
Representatives across agricultural sectors were in Albany on Wednesday to testify before a state Assembly committee regarding how the 2025 budget addresses current and emerging needs in their industry.
In announcing the hearing, Agriculture Chair Donna Lupardo, a Democrat representing the 123rd District in Broome County, noted that agriculture is essential to the state economy and local communities. She noted that the goal of the hearing was to hear about the status of standard commodities, especially dairy and examine emerging crops.
“We’re picking some topics that are of interest to all of us. But as you well know we are all committed to agriculture and to our farmers and all of it, what it takes to get food from farm to market,” Lupardo noted.
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball outlined a number of new and ongoing programs funded by the budget and said the 2025 budget is boosting the agriculture industry.
“This year the Governor announced significant initiatives that further grow New York agriculture and strengthen the food system. This includes a new $21.6 million dairy modernization grant program. The enacted New York state budget maintained funding for the Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grant Program and the Farmers Market Resiliency Grant program,” noted Ball. “Perhaps one of the most impactful and far-reaching initiatives we have undertaken is the governor’s executive order directing New York state agencies to source 30 percent of their food purchases from New York producers within the next five years. We have already surpassed our first year’s goal. The state also continues to support other key programs that connect our farmers to New Yorkers.”
Assemblyman D. Billy Jones, a Democrat from the 115th District, which borders Canada, asked Ball if there remains agricultural concerns with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
“It’s a very important issue to New York state and New York producers and farmers. Are there any specific concerns in that that we need to keep an eye on?” asked Jones.
“New York was able to lead the discussion around dairy. It’s been an irritant with the Canadians about the pricing on dairy products going into Canada,” Ball said. “It’s been good for New York agriculture, workers and jobs on both sides of our borders. I think that getting rid of those irritants which could flare up and threaten the continuation of it, we just have to pay close attention right now to that.”
Cornell University Professor of Food Science Dr. Carmen Moraru told the panel a recently released economic impact study found that agriculture contributes $85.8 billion to the state, but the industry is struggling.
“Farms had nearly a 55 percent increase in labor costs. And the USDA Census of Agriculture released in 2022 showed a 143 percent increase in the cost of production for New York farms over five years,” Moraru reported. “The pace of state regulatory changes made it difficult for some farms to continue operating. The Census of Agriculture showed a 40 percent decline in dairy farms in New York state in five years.”
New York Farm Bureau Associate Director of Public Policy and National Affairs Coordinator Ashley Oeser thanked legislators for agricultural support in the budget but noted that farmers across sectors face challenges.
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