Agriculture and Markets, Department of

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Agency Web Site: https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/Link to External Website

Mission

The Department of Agriculture and Markets is charged with fostering a competitive and safe New York food and agricultural industry for the benefit of producers and consumers. The Department encourages the growth and economic health of the State’s agricultural and food industry and conducts various inspections and testing programs to enforce laws on food safety, animal and plant health, and accuracy of labeling. The Department also preserves agricultural resources, improves soil and water quality, and operates the annual State Fair near Syracuse.

Organization and Staffing

The Department of Agriculture and Markets will have a workforce of 512 positions for FY 2020. 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 2020 Executive Budget recommends $175.1 million All Funds for the Department of Agriculture and Markets, which is a decrease of $11.7 million from the FY 2019 Enacted Budget. This change primarily reflects the elimination of one-time legislative adds and capital projects.

The Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 512 FTEs for the Department, an increase of 29 from FY 2019 levels.

Major budget actions include:

  • An increase of $2.5 million in capital appropriations to continue the on-going repair and rehabilitation of the Fair’s facilities and transformation of the State Fair into a year-round attraction.
  • An increase of $8 million in Aid to Localities appropriations to fund programs that provide the specialized technical assistance, industry promotion, and research investments to reduce farms' exposure to economic and climate inconsistency statewide.
  • An increase of $1.8 million in State Operations appropriations that will allow the Department to add 29 new food safety inspectors which are needed to meet the growing number of annually required food safety inspections.
  • $1.1 million for the “Taste NY” program, which promotes locally grown or produced food and beverages by making them readily available across the State at high traffic retail venues located at rest areas, airports and train stations. In addition to this innovative retail concept, Taste NY also fosters increased demand for these products via strategic branding and marketing efforts;

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

Program Highlights

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.
ALL FUNDS
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Category Available
FY 2019
Appropriations
Recommended
FY 2020
Change From
FY 2019
Reappropriations
Recommended
FY 2020
State Operations 115,405,000 116,138,000 733,000 160,963,000
Aid To Localities 54,435,000 49,508,000 (4,927,000) 101,493,500
Capital Projects 16,915,000 9,415,000 (7,500,000) 36,482,000
Total 186,755,000 175,061,000 (11,694,000) 298,938,500

ALL FUND TYPES
PROJECTED LEVELS OF EMPLOYMENT BY PROGRAM
FILLED ANNUAL SALARIED POSITIONS
Program FY 2019
Estimated FTEs
03/31/19
FY 2020
Estimated FTEs
03/31/20
FTE Change
Administration
General Fund 72 72 0
Agricultural Business Services
General Fund 125 125 0
Special Revenue Funds - Federal 14 14 0
Special Revenue Funds - Other 14 14 0
Fiduciary 3 3 0
Consumer Food Services
General Fund 160 189 29
Special Revenue Funds - Federal 21 21 0
Special Revenue Funds - Other 29 29 0
State Fair
Enterprise Funds 45 45 0
Total 483 512 29

STATE OPERATIONS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY FUND TYPE
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Fund Type Available
FY 2019
Recommended
FY 2020
Change
Enterprise Funds 21,261,000 21,261,000 0
Fiduciary 1,836,000 1,836,000 0
General Fund 39,602,000 41,388,000 1,786,000
Special Revenue Funds - Federal 30,922,000 30,922,000 0
Special Revenue Funds - Other 21,784,000 20,731,000 (1,053,000)
Total 115,405,000 116,138,000 733,000

STATE OPERATIONS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAM
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Program Available
FY 2019
Recommended
FY 2020
Change
Administration
General Fund 7,595,000 7,595,000 0
Agricultural Business Services
Fiduciary 1,836,000 1,836,000 0
General Fund 16,236,000 16,236,000 0
Special Revenue Funds - Federal 21,919,000 21,919,000 0
Special Revenue Funds - Other 12,236,000 11,183,000 (1,053,000)
Consumer Food Services
General Fund 15,771,000 17,557,000 1,786,000
Special Revenue Funds - Federal 9,003,000 9,003,000 0
Special Revenue Funds - Other 9,548,000 9,548,000 0
State Fair
Enterprise Funds 21,261,000 21,261,000 0
Total 115,405,000 116,138,000 733,000

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF PERSONAL SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2020 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program Total Personal Service Regular
(Annual Salaried)
Amount Change Amount Change
Administration 5,240,000 0 5,135,000 0
Agricultural Business Services 12,658,000 0 12,000,000 0
Consumer Food Services 13,927,000 1,611,000 13,079,000 1,611,000
Total 31,825,000 1,611,000 30,214,000 1,611,000
STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF PERSONAL SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2020 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program Temporary Service
(Nonannual Salaried)
Holiday/Overtime Pay
Amount Change Amount Change
Administration 60,000 0 45,000 45,000
Agricultural Business Services 598,000 0 60,000 25,000
Consumer Food Services 296,000 0 552,000 544,000
Total 954,000 0 657,000 614,000

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2020 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program Total Supplies and Materials
Amount Change Amount Change
Administration 2,355,000 0 136,000 0
Agricultural Business Services 3,578,000 0 637,000 0
Consumer Food Services 3,630,000 175,000 499,000 175,000
Total 9,563,000 175,000 1,272,000 175,000
STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2020 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program Travel Contractual Services
Amount Change Amount Change
Administration 207,000 0 1,974,000 0
Agricultural Business Services 175,000 0 2,747,000 0
Consumer Food Services 240,000 0 2,885,000 0
Total 622,000 0 7,606,000 0
STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2020 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program Equipment
Amount Change
Administration 38,000 0
Agricultural Business Services 19,000 0
Consumer Food Services 6,000 0
Total 63,000 0

STATE OPERATIONS - OTHER THAN GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2020 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program Total Personal Service
Amount Change Amount Change
Agricultural Business Services 34,938,000 (1,053,000) 3,861,000 (376,000)
Consumer Food Services 18,551,000 0 7,474,000 (306,000)
State Fair 21,261,000 0 6,768,000 0
Total 74,750,000 (1,053,000) 18,103,000 (682,000)
STATE OPERATIONS - OTHER THAN GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2020 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program Nonpersonal Service
Amount Change
Agricultural Business Services 31,077,000 (677,000)
Consumer Food Services 11,077,000 306,000
State Fair 14,493,000 0
Total 56,647,000 (371,000)

AID TO LOCALITIES
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY FUND TYPE
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Fund Type Available
FY 2019
Recommended
FY 2020
Change
General Fund 34,435,000 29,508,000 (4,927,000)
Special Revenue Funds - Federal 20,000,000 20,000,000 0
Total 54,435,000 49,508,000 (4,927,000)

AID TO LOCALITIES
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAM
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Program Available
FY 2019
Recommended
FY 2020
Change
Agricultural Business Services
General Fund 34,435,000 29,508,000 (4,927,000)
Special Revenue Funds - Federal 20,000,000 20,000,000 0
Total 54,435,000 49,508,000 (4,927,000)

CAPITAL PROJECTS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAM
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Comprehensive Construction Program Available
FY 2019
Recommended
FY 2020
Change Reappropriations
FY 2020
New Facilities
Capital Projects Fund - Authority Bonds 10,000,000 0 (10,000,000) 22,621,000
New York Works
Capital Projects Fund 3,100,000 5,600,000 2,500,000 3,088,000
Capital Projects Fund - Authority Bonds 115,000 115,000 0 5,616,000
State Fair
Capital Projects Fund 1,700,000 1,700,000 0 1,157,000
Misc. Capital Projects 2,000,000 2,000,000 0 4,000,000
Total 16,915,000 9,415,000 (7,500,000) 36,482,000

Note: Most recent estimates as of 1/15/2019