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NY Anti-Hunger Groups: Help Farmers Who Donate Food

United Soybean Board | Flickr

A coalition of anti-hunger advocates, agricultural groups and environmental organizations are urging New York leaders to create a tax credit for farmers who donate fruits, vegetables and other products to foodbanks. 

The measure has broad support in the state Legislature. But it has been vetoed before by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo because it wasn't a part of the state budget.

Supporters hope the plan will be included in the budget this year.

Farmers already donate millions of pounds of food annually, but say tax credits would reduce the costs of harvesting and transporting surplus crops that would otherwise go to waste.

Environmentalists and anti-hunger advocates say more donations would reduce food waste and give poor New Yorkers access to healthy fruits and vegetables.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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