ALBANY — A new report from New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli finds that farms generated $5.7 billion for the state’s economy in 2017.
The report released Thursday found that milk continues to dominate as the state’s largest single commodity, with $2.5 billion in sales in 2017.
While New York is the nation’s third biggest milk producer based on sales, the state ranks as No. 1 when it comes to yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream.
According to the report, New York had more than 33,000 farms in 2017 that employed 55,000 people.
DiNapoli, a Democrat, says the numbers highlight the economic importance that agriculture plays in the state.
While total acreage has declined in recent years, net farm income was up 20 percent since 2017.
Leave a Reply