U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
WASHINGTON – Senator Kirsten Gillibrand wants the federal government to do more to support dairy farmers across the country, including those in New York, who are struggling with below market milk prices.
On Tuesday, Gillibrand announced that she is pushing the U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue to authorize $300 million in emergency relief funding for dairy farmers, including nearly 4,000 in New York State.
Dairy Farmers are currently struggling with historically low milk prices — causing farmers to operate their farms under an increasing amount of debt.
The USDA has the authority to provide direct financial assistance to struggling agricultural industries, and recently provided similar relief funding to the struggling Cotton industry.
If Gillibrand’s request came through, dairy farmers in New York would see about $8,000 in immediate emergency funding.
The Senator also acknowledged that a long-term solution also needs to be found in order to prevent more dairy farms from closing down across the state.
Leave a Reply