Ball outlines priorities in State of Agriculture address

He spoke at Agricultural Society Forum in Syracuse         

SYRACUSE — New York State wants to make $34 million in funding available for on-farm fluid-milk storage technologies and processing infrastructure.  It also seeks $21 million for a new alternative waste management and enhanced precision-feed program to further the mitigation of agricultural greenhouse-gas emissions. Those elements were part of the State of Agriculture Address that Richard Ball, commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, delivered on Jan. 11 at the 192nd New York State Agricultural Society Annual Forum held in Syracuse.  His remarks outlined the progress made in 2023 and priorities for the state’s agricultural industry in 2024.  The forum, which is traditionally the oldest and largest agricultural meeting of its kind in the state, was held at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter in Syracuse. In keeping with this year’s forum theme of “Harnessing Regenerative Business,” Ball spoke about the state’s work to boost the agricultural industry and strengthen the food system while also combatting climate change.  Ball outlined the state’s goals for the new year as part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2024 State of the State plan. It includes a number of new programs and initiatives to help grow the agricultural community and “promote a more resilient future for the agriculture, food, and forestry sectors,” per a Department of Agriculture and Markets news release. The plans also include key investments into the Eastern Finger Lakes Coalition of Soil and Water Conservation Districts to accelerate agricultural and resiliency-related projects on farms of all types. This will also include support for the use of more cover crops, to reduce runoff, and to improve soil health and reduce water quality impairments in the region. Additionally, the state said it will provide increased support for agricultural education and agricultural workforce development, and will introduce new initiatives to safeguard public, plant, and animal health.  New York will also focus on developing bio-production within the agriculture and forestry sectors and revitalizing the state’s aquaculture industry, ensuring New Yorkers can access a “wider range of local food while promoting a healthy climate,” the department said. “We are all working through a number of concerns and uncertainties, from disruptions in the marketplace and skyrocketing inflation impacting our farmers and the people we serve, to labor and immigration challenges, the ever-increasing threat of climate change, and everything in between. But I believe we were designed for such purposes, and no problem is too big for us if we work together. Where there are challenges, there are also opportunities for us to become stronger, more resilient,” Ball contended.  In his address, Commissioner Ball also highlighted the department’s continued work alongside its many partners to ensure a strengthened food supply chain through several programs and initiatives.  They include the Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant program; the Farm-to-School initiative; the 30 percent NYS Initiative; the FreshConnect Program; and the New York Food for New York Families program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Ball also spoke about the department’s ongoing activities to promote New York producers through the Taste NY and the state’s Grown & Certified programs. He also noted efforts to continue to increase diversity and racial equity in New York agriculture.