New York, New Yogurt
NEW YORK: Governor Andrew Cuomo is being lauded by the New York Farm Bureau for the success of the recent Yogurt Summit in Albany, as it addressed the needs of both the yogurt and dairy industries in New York. “Not only did the Governor listen to our concerns, but he swiftly took the first steps to help dairy farmers expand their farms to ensure the Empire State becomes the ‘Yogurt Empire of the World,’” the NYFB said in a release. For years, small dairy farmers kept expansion at bay because of rigorous and costly regulations that kicked in when a farm had more than 200 cows. At the summit, Governor Cuomo moved the threshold for CAFO (Concentrated Animals Feeding Operations) compliance to 300 cows, meaning that a farm can have up to 300 cows before having to meet manure-discharge regulations, which eat up profits. This move is being hailed as an unprecedented step in ensuring the success of agribusiness in New York.