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 state agriculture officials are focused on keeping export relationships and said the USMCA review this year could affect dairy and grain access between the three countries.

Ball also briefed the committee on disease and public-health risks tied to the ongoing HPAI outbreaks. "About 40,000,000 birds have been depopulated in The United States in the last 2 months," he said, and added that many affected operations were layer flocks, which has contributed to higher egg prices.

He described New York responses: depopulation where necessary, coordination with USDA on sterilization of affected sites, and additional requirements for live bird markets in New York City, including a negative test within 72 hours before birds may be shipped to market.

The commissioner said HPAI also has affected dairy animals in parts of the country. He said the dairy-associated strain has been reported in roughly 16 to 17 states but, as of the committee meeting, "We do not have the dairy strain in New York." He described state restrictions on movement of animals from affected states and daily coordination with federal and state public-health and agriculture agencies.

Ball addressed vaccine prospects and limits. He said some poultry sectors — notably broiler producers — are skeptical of vaccination because their birds have short production cycles, while layer producers are more interested. He noted trade risks from vaccination, including the possibility that trading partners might treat vaccinated products differently and raise barriers, and he cautioned that vaccines can mask viral presence in surveillance.

On federal funding and staffing, Ball told the committee that some USDA and APHIS staff positions in New York have been eliminated, and that uncertainty about future USDA and FDA program funding could affect state inspection and plant-approval capacity. He said the state performs substantial inspection work under FDA agreements and that those funding shifts are a concern.

Ball highlighted recent and planned private- and public-sector processing investments in the state. He praised the coordination that supported Fairlife's facility and said Great Lakes Cheese will use about 2,000,000,000 pounds of milk a year. He said the state is pursuing a proactive, interagency approach — a strike force he co-chairs — to identify and address siting, labor, permitting and energy questions for new plants so projects face fewer interagency surprises.

On the federal farm bill, Ball said partisan differences in Washington have left negotiators about $230 billion apart and that timely passage is uncertain. He said New York has been working to connect producers with institutional markets and described Nourish New York and farm-to-school efforts as examples of state-level demand-building.

Ball closed the briefing by stressing optimism about the long-term prospects for New York agriculture, citing growth in FFA chapters and market opportunities in the New York metropolitan area.

The committee followed Ball's remarks with several questions about the short- and long-term effects of tariffs, the state's role in connecting growers to processors, and workforce and housing needs tied to new processing facilities.