State Sen. Darrel Aubertine, chair of the Senate's Agriculture Committee, is applauding gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo's statement of his policy on agriculture.

“I appreciate the consideration and tremendous thought that Andrew Cuomo has put into his new Farm NY policy book," Aubertine said.

“His ShareNYFood program and his focus on increased value-added processing opportunities is encouraging, as raising public awareness of local foods and taking steps to bring fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and other products directly to the consumer is a proven way to increase profitability for our farmers. The policy book overall touches on many more important issues from agriculture education to regulatory reform.

"It is clear from his in-depth analysis of the problems and persistent issues facing New York agriculture that Mr. Cuomo has done his homework when it comes to New York’s agricultural industry and recognizes the economic impact it has on all of New York State, but especially Upstate."

“I want to thank Mr. Cuomo for making our state’s number one industry a vital part of his plans for a new administration. It’s clear he is going to be a partner in working to accomplish real goals at the state level to increase the prices paid to farmers, better educate the public, and address regulatory reform in new policies.”

Cuomo's agricultural policy message is at http://www.AndrewCuomo.com/FarmNY.