ON-AIR SEGMENT: New York Ag Commissioner Richard Ball weighs in on controversial bill that would essentially limit dairy farms from growing amidst milk processing boom

ALBANY- On Friday, June 20, 2025, New York State Commissioner of Agriculture Richard A. Ball joined North Country News and weighed-in on a bill that has stirred up quite a flurry of response in the farming world.

Towards the end of last month, word started getting out that a measure, proposed by New York City area lawmakers, including Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, of Manhattan and Senator Jabari Brisport, of Brooklyn, would essentially cap the limit for any new dairy farms or already existing dairy farms from exceeding 700 cows.

For context, one local agriculture official explained to us that 700 cattle are a threshold that needs to be met before a dairy farm needs to apply for what is known as a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permit.

However, the State Ag Commissioner says this bill stands little to no chance of ever coming to full fruition, as the state is on the verge of a massive milk processing boost, especially with the latest development regarding a brand-new Chobani plant in Rome, NY. 

Be sure to listen to our latest on-air segment with New York's Commissioner of Agriculture, Richard A. Ball, for more details:

Richard A. Ball image.