Assemblyman Finch Helps Secure Passage of the Dairy Assistance Program

Assemblyman Gary Finch has secured the passage of the Dairy Assistance Program. The program will assist local dairy farmers struggling with below average milk prices last year.

• The Dairy Assistance Program provided cash payments to eligible dairy farmers equaling the difference of the target price established by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets. Eligible dairy producers received a separate check based on the pounds of milk produced during the 2006 calendar year.

• The $30 million in relief will enable Dairy Farmers to pay off bills and begin the next season. This aid is a critical step to alleviating the burden of low milk prices in conjunction with high overhead costs and tax burdens placed on farmers.

Assemblyman Finch’s Agricultural Agenda

Many farmers are finding it difficult to make ends meet with increased costs, taxes, and regulations. Assemblyman Gary Finch’s Agenda to create farming prosperity includes:

• Restoring hope for the future with the creation of the New York Farmer Recruitment and Retention Act.

• Providing low interest loans that will allow farmers to produce energy on their own farms.

• Tax relief with the expansion of the Farmer’s School Tax Credit and the establishment of a real property tax credit that will serve as an incentive for farmers to switch to crops that can be used in the production of ethanol.