STATEWIDE — NEW YORK FARMERS ARE UNDER INCREASING ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL PRESSURE because of federal policy changes, including higher tariffs, cuts to certain agricultural programs and stricter immigration enforcement policies, according to a report that state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released on Tuesday, Jan. 27. DiNapoli warns these challenges could diminish farm production, squeeze profits and lead to higher prices for consumers.
DiNapoli’s report itemizes the changes to federal funding for agriculture, including reductions over 10 years of $1.8 billion for conservation and $150 million for forestry programs, and a cut of $84 million in federal fiscal year (FFY) 2026 appropriations for the Farm Service Agency.
Moreover, it projects that the decrease in funding for nutritional assistance programs will result in less money spent at grocery stores, at farmers markets and on purchases by food banks, resulting in a loss of markets for farms, and that the federal government’s tighter immigration policies, which could cause the loss of farm employees at crucial points in the growing season, or in the case of dairy farms, at any point in the year, could devastate individual farms.
New York’s dairy sector may be the only local commodity to see a significant benefit from funding programs for agricultural commodities, the report showed.