New York’s dairy industry is booming, producing about 16 billion pounds of milk each year across 2,800 farms. Even so, demand continues to rise. We may require as many as 180,000 more cows to meet people’s needs, and 7 in 10 dairy farmers are already planning to expand their operations. That’s where new technologies like artificial intelligence come into play — helping farmers meet growing demand while lightening the load.

Across New York, farmers are being asked to produce more, quicker and more efficiently than ever before. While that’s a good problem to have, it’s also an incredibly complex one. Rising costs, labor constraints and the looming threat of government overregulation create significant uncertainty across our industry — challenges we must overcome.

How New York farmers can embrace data and AI

To meet this moment, New York farmers will need to embrace advanced technologies like data-driven tools and AI to improve productivity and decision-making. And if our lawmakers want Empire State agriculture to thrive, they must create the conditions that foster innovation, not stifle it.

As a Livingston dairy farm owner myself, I know firsthand........

© The Leader