Syracuse Sun

New York's agricultural sector is facing significant challenges, according to a recent report by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The report highlights a 14% decrease in the number of farms and a 9% reduction in total farmland between 2012 and 2022. These losses are occurring at a faster rate than the national average and most neighboring states. DiNapoli attributes this decline to factors such as labor issues, fluctuating commodity prices, and unpredictable weather.

“The overall decline of farmland is troubling, as conversion to other uses, particularly residential, commercial or industrial, may prevent its use for farming in the future. This includes 1,728 acres located in agricultural districts classified as solar electric generation facilities,” DiNapoli stated.

Despite these challenges, New York's agricultural output has remained stable. In 2022, the state's farms generated $8.5 billion in revenue—a 47% increase from 2017—ranking among the top three producers of apples, milk, beets, maple syrup, and cabbage. Agritourism income has also seen a significant rise.

However, farm expenses have surged to $6.2 billion in 2022 from $4.3 billion in 2017. Labor costs alone increased by 68%, the highest rise among all expense categories. Compounding these financial pressures is a legislative change reducing the threshold for farm workers' overtime eligibility from 60 hours per week to eventually just 40 hours by 2032.

In response to these issues, members of the Assembly Minority Conference have advocated for policies like the “Food Insecurity, Farm Resiliency and Rural Poverty Initiative” to support farmers affected by the pandemic. They have also proposed legislation aimed at boosting the dairy industry by enabling state schools to purchase whole and 2% milk produced locally. Additionally, they support continued funding for Locally Sourced Food Reimbursement programs that incentivize school lunch programs to buy at least 30% of their food products from New York State farmers.

The conference emphasizes that preserving farmland is crucial not only for maintaining New York's agricultural heritage but also for preventing valuable land from being repurposed ineffectively under green energy initiatives.