New York Farm Bureau outlines 2014 legislative priorities
By Matthew McKibben
The New York Farm Bureau says it is looking forward to working with lawmakers to establish a more profitable business climate for farmers this legislative session.
In a conference call Wednesday, Dean Norton, president of the Farm Bureau's board of directors, and Jeff Williams, director of public policy, outlined the organization's priorities for 2014, acknowledging Gov. Andrew Cuomo has already taken steps in the Executive Budget to improve financial stability for farmers.
Cuomo proposed a plan to increase New York's estate tax exemption from $1 million to $5.2 million in his Executive Budget, which Norton and Williams said would help keep costs down for the next generation of farmers.
"With the value of land growing recently, transitioning a farm has become extremely costly for farmers; this could benefit as many as 3,000 farmers," Norton said.
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-01-29-86578.113122-New-York-Farm-Bureau-outlines-2014-legislative-priorities.html
