ALBANY — New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today reminded producers that nominations for the New York Dairy Promotion Advisory Board are due Wednesday, February 15, 2017. The Dairy Promotion Advisory Board, which administers the Dairy Promotion Order and evaluates dairy marketing promotion programs, consists of ten New York milk producers appointed by the Commissioner who serve a three-year term, starting May 1, 2017.
Commissioner Ball said, “The dairy industry is a major driver of New York State’s economy and the State’s largest agricultural sector. The work of the Dairy Promotion Advisory Board is important to the continued education of consumers and promotion of the State’s high quality dairy products, particularly as the industry faces weather and market related challenges. I encourage our producers to put forth their nominations for the Advisory Board that will help guide the future of the industry in New York State.”
The Dairy Promotion Advisory Board advises the Commissioner on the disposition of approximately $14 million a year in funds collected from milk producers under the producer-approved New York Dairy Promotion Order. The Board also makes recommendations on promotion and nutrition education programs, and various dairy product quality research proposals. The first New York State Dairy Promotion Advisory Board was appointed in May 1972 at the request of dairy producers.
Nominations for membership on the Dairy Promotion Advisory Board can only be made by individual New York milk producers and should be submitted in writing and signed by the producer making the nomination. Cooperatives and other farm organizations are not eligible to nominate individual producers to the Dairy Promotion Advisory Board, but may endorse producers who are nominated.
Nominations should include the name and address of the producer who is being nominated and his or her cooperative or other organizational affiliation. Other information about the producer such as herd size, market, participation in farm organizations or programs, and experience in marketing activities are helpful in evaluating the nominee’s qualifications to serve on the Advisory Board.
In addition, authorized organizations can endorse nominees for the Advisory Board by submitting to the Commissioner, no later than February 28, 2017, a resolution of its Board of Directors or other governing body.
Organizations that are authorized to endorse nominations are: Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.; Niagara Frontier Cooperative Milk Producers Bargaining Agency, Inc.; Rochester Cooperative Milk Producers Bargaining Agency, Inc.; New York Farm Bureau, Inc.; New York State Grange, Inc.; and Agri-Mark, Inc.
For further information on the New York State Dairy Promotion Advisory Board nomination process, please contact Frank Caputo atfrank.caputo@agriculture.ny.gov or at 518-457-8801.
New York State has nearly 5,000 dairy farms that produce over 14 billion pounds of milk annually, making New York the nation’s third largest dairy state. The dairy industry is the State’s largest agricultural sector, contributing significantly to the State’s economy by generating nearly half of the State’s total agricultural receipts, and providing some of the highest economic multipliers in the State.
About the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
The Department, through its various divisions and programs, promotes New York agriculture and its high-quality and diverse products, fosters agricultural environmental stewardship, and safeguards the State’s food supply, land and livestock to ensure the viability and growth of New York’s agricultural industries.
The Department operates the Great New York State Fair, and administers the Taste NY initiative, the FreshConnect and New York State Grown and Certified programs. Follow the Department on its Facebook page and on Twitter.
–New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
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