ALBANY, N.Y. — Like many other industries, New York's farms and agribusinesses are being hurt financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The New York Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization, released results of a member survey Tuesday showing 65% say they've been negatively impacted by the crisis. More than 500 members took part in the informal canvas conducted in mid-June.
The questions covered a variety of topics including the health and safety of farm families and their employees and access to personal protective equipment (PPE). Respondents were also asked to describe how they were personally affected.
Some key findings:
- 43% of farms have lost sales during the pandemic.
- More than a third of farms and agribusinesses (37%) are experiencing cash flow issues.
- Almost half (47%) say they have reduced spending to local vendors and suppliers or will do so in the future.
- An overwhelming majority of farms (84%) have a plan in place to train and assist their employees to mitigate the spread of the virus.
- 46% of respondents say they are concerned about their mental health or that of someone they know.
“What we found with this survey is that no farm was untouched by the pandemic or the economic fallout,” said New York Farm Bureau President, David Fisher. “All of this underscores the need to continue to invest in our food system while also making health and safety a priority. Farmers are doing their best to make sure food production doesn’t stop, but we need to maintain the ability to process, distribute and market what we produce. As the state and federal governments look toward potential budget cuts and additional COVID-19 assistance, agriculture must be a part of the discussion. It really does take all of us working together to have a strong, sustainable food system that supports the farm community and feeds yours.”
Click here to read the full report.
