Commissioner Ball briefs Senate Agriculture Committee on tariffs, avian influenza and dairy impacts

Richard Ball, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, told the Senate Agriculture Committee on March 11 that recent U.S. tariffs and outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza are creating immediate costs and risks for New York farmers while state investments in processing capacity offer potential relief.

Ball said the governor convened a small roundtable of roughly eight to 10 farmers the morning of the hearing to discuss trade developments. He said the administration is watching the tariff announcements on Canada, Mexico and China and the likely retaliatory actions from trading partners.

"Tariffs hit us coming and going because the cost of inputs will go up," Ball said, noting that a significant share of potash used on New York farms comes from Canada and that a 25 percent tariff would raise costs. He said retaliatory tariffs could also reduce market access for New York exports.

The commissioner discussed national trade work, including the Tri-National Accord and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). He said…