Assemblyman Marc Butler was joined in his Albany office by Farm Bureau representatives Lee Hollenbeck of St. Lawrence County, Stanley Korona of Oneida County, Todd Rogers of Fulton County and other representatives including local Future Farmers of America students.

Assemblyman Marc W. Butler, R-Newport, was recently joined by Farm Bureau representatives, including Lee Hollenbeck of St. Lawrence County, as they discussed local aid for farm programs and other initiatives that would impact family farms in the state.

“Agriculture plays a significant role in the economy in my Assembly district, and we must do everything we can to help family farmers and local dairy producers who provide jobs in the rural areas of our state,” said Butler.

Butler’s 118th Assembly District includes St. Lawrence County towns from Norfolk and Madrid south to Colton, Clifton and Fine.

“I am always pleased to discuss the legislative issues facing agriculture with Farm Bureau representatives from my district,” he said. “I will be fighting for serious investment in local aid to our Agriculture and Markets programs and push for passage of a Thruway tax credit that will save family farmers and agricultural producers about $5 million annually.”

Butler has been one of the strongest proponents of agriculture in the state. He’s championed its causes and has helped to save funding for critical programs that help improve profitability, viability and the science and craft of agriculture in New York.

Last year, the governor tried to cut funding from the Agriculture and Markets Local Assistance programs by more than $8 million. Fortunately, in the final enacted budget of 2015-16, aid was actually increased by nearly $4.2 million for a total of roughly $31 million in investment into these critical programs. This year, the governor wants to cut the programs by more than $11 million.

Butler is encouraged that there is a proposed New York Frequent Thruway Commuter Credit, which could save farmers and agricultural producers an estimated $5 million annually. Agriculture plays a large role in providing jobs and boosting the economy in Butler’s district, and being located near the Thruway impacts this industry greatly. The credit will be a big relief to his constituents.

According to a report from Cornell University, agriculture currently provides roughly 115,000 jobs in this state and contributes nearly $10 billion to its gross domestic product (GDP). The report says that for every dollar generated in GDP by the agricultural industry, the multiplier effect is $1.43 in non-agricultural related activity, a significant impact on the economy.