The state budget that has come out of the state Senate includes an additional $20 million for agriculture.
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| Ritchie |
State
Sen. Patricia Ritchie, chair of the Senate agriculture committee, said the additional money includes full support for
her “Grown in New York” plan that links consumers and local farms and
preserves the future of family farming in the state.
The
senate’s budget plan (S.4203) increases support for agriculture by more than
$20 million above the governor’s proposal.
Included is additional funding for
programs that have proven critical to the success of farmers in Central and
Northern New York, including restoration of funding cuts to the well-regarded
Farm Viability Institute and the Northern New York Agriculture Development
Program, as well as for research and promotion of key farm products, from
apples to dairy, maple syrup to onions.
The
restorations and new funding are more than five times the amount included in
the Assembly’s agriculture plan (A.6003), which restored about half of the
cuts in the governor's budget.
The
senate’s budget also includes new funding to expand the Senate’s “Young
Farmers” initiative, a 2014 program designed by Ritchie, to encourage
new careers in agriculture and to address a looming crisis facing agricultur when today's aging farmers begin to retire.
Below are some programs that are funded, with governor's budget amount followed by senate amount and then total in senate budget. A final budget
is due April 1.
New York Farm Viability Institute: $400,000.....$1.5 million........$1.9 million
FFA: $192,000.......$700,000,,,,....,,,$892,000
Maple Producers Association: 0..........$200,000..............$200,000
Apple Growers Association: $206,000............$544,000..............$750,000
Northern New York Agricultural Development: 0......$600,000..........$600,000
Berry Growers: 0..............$320,000.............$320,000
Christmas Tree Farmers: 0............$100,000...........$100,000
EEE-mosquito control: 0..............$175,000..............$175,000
Pro-Dairy: $822,000..............$378,000 $1.2 million
Core Diagnostic Laboratory: $4,425,000.......$1 million....$5,425,000
Barley and Hops research: 0............$160,000.............$160,000
Integrated Pest Management: $500,000........$550,000............$1.05 million
FarmNet: $384,000.............$691,000.............$1.075 million
