ALBANY (AP) -- New York dairy farmers are expected to get about $40 million in direct agricultural aid payments in the coming weeks as part of a new economic loss assistance program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the 2010 appropriations bill authorizes $290 million for the dairy loss assistance following the steep drop in milk prices earlier this year.
Sen. Charles Schumer says the chosen distribution method has a cap that benefits states like New York with smaller farms. He says the USDA should begin mailing checks shortly, based on each qualifying operation's milk production commercially marketed from February through July.
In 2007, the state had 5,683 dairy farms.
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