Cayuga County is second in the state for milk production. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants to see a key Farm Bill program renewed to keep dairy prospering in central New York.
Outside Cayuga Milk Ingredients in Auburn Wednesday, Schumer pushed for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program's inclusion in the 2023 Farm Bill.
"It gives monthly payments to our dairy farmers when the cost of feed and the incoming costs are greater than the price of milk that milk will bring in," Schumer said. "Our farmers would go bankrupt except for this help."
Schumer said the program is a lifeline to farmers and without it, it could lead to supply chain disruptions and a loss of revenue into the economy.
Patterson Farms has been in Cayuga County since 1830. Julie Patterson says the Dairy Margin Coverage Program is integral to family farms of all sizes in a volatile dairy industry.
"Viability of dairy farms is crucial to our local rural economy and ensures the continued supply of safe, affordable, nutritious dairy products to consumers in New York state and beyond," Patterson said.
Schumer said they need a bipartisan push to help dairy farmers.
Source: wrvo.org
Categories: New York, Business, Livestock, Dairy Cattle, Rural Lifestyle