Agriculture and Markets, Department of

Agency Web Site: https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/

Mission

The Department of Agriculture and Markets’ mission is to promote New York State agriculture and its high-quality and diverse products, foster agricultural environmental stewardship, and safeguard the state’s food supply, land, and livestock to ensure the viability and growth of New York’s agriculture industries. The Department also operates The Great New York State Fair each year near Syracuse.

Organization and Staffing

The Department of Agriculture and Markets will have a workforce of 552 positions for FY 2021. The Department is run by a commissioner, who is appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate. The Department is headquartered in Albany and maintains six regional offices in Brooklyn, Buffalo, Hauppauge, Poughkeepsie, Rochester and Syracuse.

The Department of Agriculture and Markets’ operating programs are funded by the General Fund, fees, federal grants and other funds.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2021 Executive Budget recommends $190.1 million All Funds for the Department of Agriculture and Markets, which is an increase of $297,000 from the FY 2020 Enacted Budget. This change reflects the elimination of one-time legislative adds, increases for agency staff and various capital projects.

Major budget actions include:

• Capital appropriations remain flat at $19.4 million due to offsetting reductions in one-time legislative adds and new appropriations to make electrical upgrades to temporary structures, as well as various other improvements and expansions at the State Fairgrounds.
• A decrease of $5.8 million in Aid to Localities primarily due to the elimination of one-time legislative adds and the consolidation of Taste NY appropriations at Empire State Development.
• An increase of $1.9 million in State Operations appropriations that will allow the Department to add seven hemp-related staff, eight dairy inspectors and four lab technicians. The State Operations appropriations also include an elimination of the $1.1 million Taste NY appropriation, which is being transferred to Empire State Development.
• The Executive Budget includes an additional $5.4 million in State Operations appropriations to extend the State Fair by five days and to add 21 State Fair staff. The extended State Fair will include an additional weekend and new programming, including a motor show held in the Expo Center and sensory friendly days.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Environment and Energy (PDF)

Program Highlights

The Agricultural Business Services program promotes the agricultural economy of the State and fosters the responsible use of resources to preserve agricultural land and the environment. These programs are carried out through six divisions which:

• Support and serve the State’s food and agricultural industry in the areas of market development and promotion, food and nutrition, and business development and support - including the Taste NY program and the NY Grown & Certified program;
• Inspect and test livestock, poultry, and plants to control and eradicate diseases that can both cause severe economic losses for farmers and present a public health hazard;
• Oversee the activities of county soil and water conservation districts, direct the agricultural non-point source pollution control and farmland preservation grant programs, establish agricultural districts, administer agricultural product market orders and the Federal Farmers Market Nutrition Program for low-income families, and collect and disseminate statistical agricultural information; and
• Exercise a variety of statutorily required activities involving the pricing and marketing of milk and milk products, and the licensing and bonding of milk and farm products dealers.

The Consumer Food Services program ensures that wholesome food products are sold to the consumer and that the industry and the public are protected from fraud, adulteration, or malpractice in the production, processing, transportation, and retailing of food and gasoline, and in the use of measuring devices. In carrying out these purposes, the program:

• Licenses and inspects more than 35,000 businesses that produce, process, manufacture, or distribute food products, registers food represented as kosher, and grades farm products;
• Inspects and tests dairy products to enforce laws pertaining to milk and milk product sanitation, and guards against harmful or misrepresented food; and
• Certifies and calibrates weighing and measuring devices and oversees the testing of motor fuels under the Motor Fuel Quality and Clean Air programs.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/29/2020