New York Farm Bureau Testifies at Joint Hearing on Extended Producer Responsibility Program

President Fisher raised serious concerns about higher costs, food safety, and the repercussions on New York farms from the proposed Extended Producer Program.

New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher testified today in Albany in front of the New York State Legislature’s Joint Public Hearing on Package Reduction that is tasked with reviewing the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility Program. This legislation would shift recycling responsibilities from municipalities to the producers.

President Fisher’s testimony raised great concerns about the financial impacts that this will have on agricultural producers, including dairy farms and processors, wineries, cideries, and other food and beverage producers who use packaging. There are also concerns about restrictions of some plastic packaging that is required for food safety.

“Farm producers are unprepared to assume this type of responsibility, from both a management and financial perspective, especially given the current downturn of the farm economy, and the increased costs of doing business resulting from the rise of inflation impacting all businesses,” said President Fisher.

He encouraged lawmakers to work with New York Farm Bureau and other stakeholders to find a reasonable path forward to reduce packaging and waste, including an impact study that could address serious questions that persist.

“We believe legislation containing this complex level of change and upheaval to the current system, which severely impacts farms and the general business community, needs much more stakeholder input, as well as an impact study prior to the legislation moving forward. Within this legislation there is a lot of uncertainty and many questions regarding the producer responsibility organizations' creation, the overall costs, as well as how packaging from out of state will be handled.”

Click here to read President Fisher’s full testimony.

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New York Farm Bureau is the State’s largest agricultural lobbying/trade organization. Its members and the public know the organization as “The Voice of New York Agriculture.” New York Farm Bureau’s mission is “Supporting today’s agricultural needs and creating member opportunities for tomorrow through advocacy and education.”