Ag chief asks Congress to solve the dairy crisis

State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick M. Hooker said he would like to see Congress provide a solution to the dairy crisis that is both effective and manageable.

"The question is really not what will work, but what will Congress have the patience, the ability and the time to pursue," Mr. Hooker said before Cornell Cooperative Extension's annual dinner meeting Tuesday at the Black River Valley Club.

Mr. Hooker was the keynote speaker at the meeting.

Since current low prices paid to dairy farmers for milk are a nationwide crisis, Mr. Hooker said, the Department of Agriculture and Markets has been working closely with U.S. senators and representatives from New York state.

"One of the things we are trying to do is to inform our congressional delegation of the issues faced by farmers," Mr. Hooker said.

New York is the third-largest producer of dairy products in the country. Among the state's counties, Jefferson County ranks fourth after Wyoming, St. Lawrence and Cayuga counties. Lewis County ranks sixth.

"It's a big, big part of the economy," Mr. Hooker said.

In his address, Mr. Hooker said the major purposes of the state Department of Agriculture and Markets are to address agriculture economic development, promote environmental stewardship and lead on food safety issues.

He also is the chairman of the state Council on Food Policy, an organization that makes recommendations concerning the availability of safe, affordable and healthy food.

Mr. Hooker said a means of restoring New Yorkers' access to healthy food and helping farmers can be one in the same.

"You start purchasing things that are healthy, and that's what we produce here in New York," Mr. Hooker said. "We need to get more of our farmers connected with more of our consumers."

He praised the efforts of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, especially during the current economic and dairy crises.

"When you're in a tough economy, you need the Cornell Cooperative Extension more than ever," Mr. Hooker said.

Cornell Cooperative Extension provides educational programs on agriculture, children and families, community and economic vitality, environmental stewardship and nutrition. Each county in New York state hosts an extension office.