Maple syrup is a key sweetener to the state economy, even with just 1 percent of maples tapped. Hence a package of new legislation is aimed at helping syrup producers access new areas of potential revenue.
While the budget woes afflicting New York State make difficult choices inevitable, the thinking is the state should not cut off support for important agriculture activities that are already important and possess the opportunity for growth.
That is the message that farmer advocates are trying to send to the state Legislature and it seems at least some key lawmakers are getting the message. But it is uncertain what will develop amid the bid to balance the state”™s $134 billion budget that is facing a $9 billion deficit.
“When you put money into promoting agriculture the return on that investment is multiplied typically by a factor of 10 or so,” said Peter Gregg, a spokesman for the state Farm Bureau. “So you get a huge return back in terms of job creation and stimulus to the upstate economy.
“Our state”™s farmers and agricultural producers sell around $4.5 billion worth of goods each year, but the economic impact goes well beyond in supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs,” said state Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a lifelong farmer. “It”™s important we remain focused on growing our agricultural industries because these local businesses will help us emerge from these tough economic times.”
Aubertine has spearheaded passage of a package of bills that will help change the legal framework for maple syrup production in New York State.
“These bills put agriculture in the context of economic development and will in fact generate revenue and help to preserve and create jobs,” he said.
Among the changes the bills propose would be legalese alterations to language allowing maple syrup producers to benefit from their new status as a recognized agritourism business, offering legal protection to producers who invite the public into their facilities for tasting and purchases and other events.
A separate bill changing legal language to include “pure maple syrup” in the state”™s definition of an agricultural commodity will make state funding and help available to businesses that use maple sap in other products, such as granulated maple sugar and maple cream.
Farm advocates say that maple syrup is a particularly promising agricultural endeavor to support, with a growing awareness of the products health benefits, especially as compared with refined sugar, and an enormous capacity to create more syrup products. “We are only tapping about 1 percent of all the sugar maples in New York, so we have a huge potential to grow our industry here,” said Gregg of the Farm Bureau.
He said the Senate bills are promising, but need to be supported by the Assembly, as well ”“ tandem backing that agriculture needs this year more than ever. While the state has supported promotion of maple syrup, apple products and wine from state vintners in the past, Gregg said, the current budget proposals being considered by legislators would largely shut down such help.
He said Aubertine and Assemblyman William Magee, chairman of the Assembly”™s agriculture committee are seeking to fashion a package of funding that would save farm promotions as an investment the state must make.
“What they re looking to do is restore funding to wine, maple syrup and apple promotions, which in the Hudson Valley is a big deal but which were zeroed out of the Governor”™s proposed budget,” said Gregg.
“It”™s a very tight budget but hopefully we”™re looking for at least partial restoration of some promotional programs,” said Gregg. “Its unprecedented circumstances and we understand we have to all bite the bullet, but to completely eliminate funding for agricultural promotions is not fair. And it”™s not smart in terms of the state economy.”
