Two legislators from the New York State Senate recently held a roundtable discussion focused on the rising costs and workforce challenges confronting agriculture in the state. George Borrello and Patrick Gallivan brought together 40 farmers from Erie, Wyoming and Genesee counties, as well as representatives of leading agricultural organizations, for the discussion at Hidden Valley Lodge in Wyoming County. Much of the discussion centered on the widening gap between what it costs to operate a farm and what farmers are able to earn. Dramatically higher utility rates were cited as a major source of strain, along with difficulties getting the electrical service needed to expand their farms.
Borrello, ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, says, "Agriculture is one of New York's most important industries and an essential part of the economy and way of life here in Western New York. Yet even in the best of times, farming is a difficult business with tight margins and circumstances that are often beyond a producer’s control. What we heard today reinforced just how many pressures are converging on our farmers at once."
The pressures come as New York continues to lose farms. Other key issues they cited as difficulties were New York's high labor costs including the farmworker overtime mandate, diesel prices and declining milk prices.
Photo by Senator George Borrello's Office
