Taste NY sales jumped 10 percent to nearly $18 million last year

Sales of Taste NY products, foods and beverages grown and produced in New York state, jumped more than 10 percent from $16.1 million in 2017 to $17.8 million 2018, the state announced Monday.

The continued year-over-year growth reflects increasing consumer demand for local food and beverage products, according to a news release from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office.

“Taste NY continues to provide unprecedented support to our farms and food and beverage businesses, bolstering the agricultural and tourism industries that are so critical to local economies across the state,” Cuomo said in the release.

Since its creation in 2013, the Taste NY initiative has generated steady growth with sales increasing from $1.5 million in 2014 to more than $16 million in 2017 and now, almost $18 million last year.

Taste NY has helped the farms and companies participating in the program to reach more customers, increase online sales, and expand processing capacity, the state contends.

In the past year, six new Taste NY Markets opened at welcome centers in the North Country, Adirondacks, Finger Lakes, Western New York, Hudson Valley/Catskills, and the Capital Region. Other centers opened in 2017 and 2016, promoting the state’s local tourism industry and encouraging the purchase of local food and beverages.

The 2018 Taste NY annual report is available here. A complete list of Taste NY locations can be found at http://www.taste.ny.gov.

Contact Nilsen at knilsen@cnybj.com