The New York apple industry voted to continue the Apple Research and Development program, administered by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets.
“The Apple Research and Development program has been important to funding much-needed research in pest management, potential disease and other areas that make an impact on our farmers’ crops,” state Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said in a news release.
Every six years, New York apple growers are asked to approve the program through a referendum vote.
The program was first established in 1990 by New York’s apple industry to fund research activities.
In recent years, the program collects almost $400,000 in grower assessments annually, used to fund research critical to increasing the profitability of New York’s apple growers.
Research is conducted in pest management, bacterial infection, proper storage, product research and overall best practices for growing and harvesting apples. The program’s advisory board makes recommendations on the projects and establishes priorities based on the regions represented.
