WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – An increase in the minimum wage for farm workers, part of the recently passed state budget, has the New York Farm Bureau concerned.
The increase will begin next year with farm workers starting at $15 an hour. It will continue to increase by 50 cents each year until 2027. The rate will continue to rise after that to match inflation.
The farm bureau says it’s concerned about New York farms’ ability to compete with other states, as the increase comes at the same time as the state scales back the overtime threshold for farm workers.
“Any time you make labor more expensive, it just drives up more costs for our farms. It makes it more difficult to compete in the marketplace and for them to produce and to make ends meet. That ultimately is going to be very difficult for a number of our farms,” said Steve Ammerman, director of communication, New York Farm Bureau.
Farm Bureau President David Fischer says one positive of the budget is the Refundable Investment Tax Credit. He says the tax credit is “a potential boon for agriculture producers, allowing them to expand, upgrade, or diversify their businesses.”
Copyright 2023 WWNY. All rights reserved.
