A New York State farm.

Agribusiness

Agribusiness Keeps Growing in New York State

Contact Allison Argust
Industry Contact Regional Director Allison Argust

With abundant farmland, programs and incentives, New York is cultivating success for growers and producers

When people think of New York State, they may not think of agribusiness. Yet approximately 20% of the state’s land area is used for farming.  The Empire State is rich with farms that produce a variety of field crops, fruits, and an abundance of milk — all of which support a wide array of food manufacturers. New York’s top five ranking in milk production supports the Coca-Cola Company's plans to locate a new fairlife production facility in Monroe County, and the manufacturing of award-winning cheese and yogurt for industry leaders including Great Lakes Cheese, Chobani and Fage, and national food and beverage processor HP Hood. New York State beets and apples are among the many ingredients to successful products that got their start here.

The state’s natural resources, from forests to farms—coupled with top educational institutions including Cornell University, SUNY Cobleskill, Genesee Community College and SUNY- ESF—enable the success of our wide array of agribusinesses. That success, in turn, supports the state’s economy in many ways, including creation of new jobs and growth in tourism. New York State timber also is a base for paper products, furniture manufacturing and flooring—leading engineered wood building products manufacturer LP Building Solutions chose Steuben County for its new engineered wood siding prefinishing facility. 

New York plants the seed for agribusiness both here, and around the world. The annual Grow-NY food and agriculture competition, announced in 2019 and focused on food and agriculture innovation in the Finger Lakes, Central New York and Southern Tier regions, offers a total of $3 million in funding to innovative high-growth startups that are focused on the food and agriculture industry—supporting the success of companies including 2022 grand prize winner, ProAgni. In addition to funding through Grow-NY, the state has committed $10 million to support small agribusiness companies through the JDA Agriculture Loan Fund.

A New York State farm.

More than 33,000 farms produce New York State’s vast array of raw products to be used in food and beverage production.

Farmers harvesting apples from trees.

New York State is the second-largest producer of apples and maple syrup; second in cabbage and snap beans; third in grapes, grape juice and wine; and fourth in pears.

Sterling Forest State Park in the Hudson Valley.

New York’s forest covers 63% of the State’s total land area, supporting the wood products industry as well as recreational opportunities; the forest sector has an economic impact of $13 billion.

Agribusiness in New York State

Discover why New York State is the ideal place to launch or expand your business.

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#1 Rank Nationally

New York State is ranked first in the nation for yogurt production.

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7 Million

There are 7M acres of land currently farmed in New York State.

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100,000

New York State is home to 100,000 food manufacturing jobs.

Opportunities to grow your business in New York State

Construction of the New NY Bridge in New York's Mid-Hudson Region.

Tax-Based Incentives

All forms of tax incentives that enable savings and cost advantages to businesses.

Operational Support

Programs offering assistance or training to ensure more competitive businesses.
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Growth Support

Funds, loans and other means of financial support to stimulate business growth.
People working and talking in co-working space in the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center

Innovation Development Support

Financial incentives to foster university collaboration, research and innovation.

Industry Contact

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