The farming community is the backbone of the New York state economy, especially in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. Throughout the state, farms and agriculture contribute an estimated $3 billion to the state economy. Based on those figures the success of farms in New York has a direct impact on the prosperity of New York.
Despite the fact that farms have an integral effect on the state’s economy, many farmers are facing an uncertain future. Over a one-year period, from 2005 to 2006, the number of farms in New York has dropped from 35,600 to an estimated 35,000. This alarming decline has stemmed from the struggles many farmers face including high overhead costs, increased taxes and regulations and rising operating costs.
Recognizing the need to provide real relief for farmers right here in our own community and throughout New York, I have developed a comprehensive agricultural and farm agenda as a part of “Road to Reform.”
First and foremost, my plan calls for the establishment of the Milk Disaster Assistance Program. In 2006, dairy farmers in New York and throughout the Northeast suffered record financial losses. As energy costs continue to rise and adverse weather conditions persist, many milk farmers are faced with increasingly difficult financial hardships.
The program calls for $60 million from the state in direct payments to dairy farmers to help offset the low price of milk currently being paid to milk farmers. The legislation establishes that payments be based on at least one dollar per hundredweight of milk produced from April 1 to September 30, 2006.
In response to concerns over the cost of doing business in the state, “Road to Reform” includes additional provisions aimed at providing relief for the agricultural community. These reforms include:
- Restoring hope in the future of farming in New York with the establishment of the New York Farmer Recruitment and Retention Act;
- Providing essential tax relief with the expansion of the Farmer’s School Tax Credit and the creation of a property tax credit that will serve as an incentive for farmers to switch to crops that can be used as ethanol; and
- Lowering costs for farmers by providing low interest loans that will allow farmers to produce energy right on their own farms.
The future of our farms is critical to restoring vitality to the upstate economy. As a member of the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, I will fight to provide the real relief and the necessary reforms New York farms desperately need.