Write a commentNew York's agriculture industry is in the midst of a total upheaval, and a recent report from the United States Department of Agriculture highlighted some major concerns coming out of this new normal.
One major concern we have repeatedly expressed pertains to the difficult regulatory environment New York farmers are asked to endure. For example, recently, the number of hours farm workers are required to work before earning overtime has been reduced from 60 to 56, and by 2032 that number will drop all the way down to 40. New York is already well-documented as one of the least business-friendly states in the nation, and our farming policies have done nothing but illustrate why we are at the bottom of the regulatory barrel.
As these farms close, consolidate and repurpose, we are not only risking irreversible damage to our supply chain, we are also losing a huge piece of the history and fabric of New York. Generational family farms were once a staple of New York's economy, but they are fast becoming forgotten relics. Production levels may be afloat for the time being, but at some point, the system will not be able to handle any more fiscal and regulatory strain. We can see the crisis looming, and now is the time to do something about it—rather than wait until all the farmland has evaporated. In 2022, our Conference expressed concerns after another report, this one from Farm Credit East, indicated rising labor costs and food prices would begin to threaten the supply chain. Well, consider it threatened.
If you have any questions or comments on this or any other state issue, or if you would like to be added to my mailing list or receive my newsletter, please contact my office. My office can be reached by mail at 19 Canalview Mall, Fulton, NY 13069 and by email at [email protected]. You may also find me, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, on Facebook or Twitter at @WillABarclay.
