Yesterday, N.Y.’s Governor Cuomo held the first “Yogurt Summit” where he announced plans to ease expansion regulations for dairy farmers.
Governor Cuomo announced plans that would allow dairies to grow beyond 200 cows without facing a stringent set of regulations. Currently any dairy operation in the state with more than 200 cows must obtain a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) permit. If regulations are eased as anticipated, this limit will be raised to 300 cows.
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, 501 farms in New York hold a CAFO permit. Each of these permits comes at a cost to the producer ranging between $50,000 and $150,000 according the New York Farm Bureau.
At current production levels, despite being the fourth largest state for milk volume, New York does not anticipate it will be able to meet the demands of its expanding processing industry. Within the state, there are 29 yogurt plants. Fage and Chobani have already expanded production in rural counties. PepsiCo too, has made a move to get in on the action, launching a joint venture with a German company to open a plant in Batavia, N.Y.