Boondocks No. 27

Aubertine's Bulk Hauling Bill Passes the Assembly.

While the State Senate bragged about the dairy assistance program contained in the state budget, the Democrats in the Assembly passed the A.7113 a bill that would mandate the Dept of Ag & Markets to study bulk hauling costs for farmers.

The State Budget established a new Dairy Assistance Program within the New York State Department of Agriculture. The program, which is similar to an initiative used in the State of Vermont, pays eligible farmers the difference between target prices established by the Agriculture Commissioner and the combined Northeast Federal Order Statistical Uniform Price, plus the amount of the Milk Income Loss Contract X payment rate on a per-hundredweight basis.

Certainly you have to give credit to the Senate Republicans for getting this program in the state budget, if that's their only real accomplishment besides stripping out some of Spitzer's fee increases. Hopefully they will go along with Aubertine's study bill, that will have minimal new costs to the state but could help rethink our state's dairy policy for long-term sustainability.