N.Y. AGM Law § 297 — New York Code / Act AGM / Article 25-A / Section 297
Food and agriculture industry development; program created
Status: in_force

§ 297. Food and agriculture industry development; program created. 1.\nCreation. There is hereby created within the department a food and\nagriculture industry development program.\n  2. Purpose. The purpose of the food and agriculture industry\ndevelopment program shall be to share the cost of implementing\ninnovative and low risk approaches to the research, development,\nproduction, processing and distribution of agricultural products and\nquality foods that capitalize on the state's unique resources and\nstrategic location near significant markets. With an emphasis on\nprogrammatic results, such program shall be designed to favor projects\nwhich will have an economic benefit to the state's economy and food\nsupply in the near term, and which will have a lasting effect and\nlong-term economic value to business development and job creation.\n  3. Powers of the commissioner. The commissioner is hereby authorized\nto issue requests for proposals to implement the food and agriculture\nindustry development program; to award project grants within the limits\nof any appropriations therefor, provided that grant recipients match\nawards with at least equal amounts of funds in the form of cash, in-kind\nservices or other resources; and to contract for services with eligible\napplicants to carry out such program.\n  4. Eligible projects. Projects involving new product development;\nalternative production, processing, distribution and marketing\ntechnologies; introduction of high technologies; or organizational\nmethods that further development of the food and agriculture industry in\nthe state shall be eligible for grant awards pursuant to the food and\nagriculture industry development program. Also eligible shall be\nprojects involving farm woodland or fresh water aquatic products\nproduced in either natural or man-made water bodies or in natural or\nman-made controlled structures. Projects that include public-private\npartnership investments, and with a strong potential for near-term\ncommercial application and long-term economic value to the state and\nlocalities, shall be given priority.\n  5. Targeted projects. The commissioner may set-aside up to twenty-five\npercent of any moneys appropriated for the purposes of the food and\nagriculture industry development program for projects that exhibit\nspecial regional or state-wide significance for food and agriculture\nindustry development and that meet the project eligibility requirements\nestablished pursuant to this article.\n  6. Eligible applicants. Public and private agencies and organizations,\nbusiness and industry, educational institutions, local governments and\nindividuals shall be eligible to submit proposals for funding pursuant\nto this article.\n  7. Grant awards. Project grants for contractual services that further\ndevelopment of the state's food and agriculture industry as described in\nthis article shall be awarded on a competitive basis through a request\nfor proposal process. Such grants shall be awarded for worthwhile\nprojects throughout the state, to the extent practicable, so that broad\ngeographic representation is achieved. At least one solicitation for\nproject proposals shall be held within each fiscal year in which\nappropriations are made for the food and agriculture industry\ndevelopment program. Grant awards for an individual project shall not\nexceed sixty thousand dollars within a single state fiscal year.\n  8. Request for proposal guidelines. The commissioner shall, in\nconsultation with the advisory council on agriculture, develop rules and\nregulations for proposal submission pursuant to this article, including\nbut not limited to: project eligibility and selection process; project\nproposal format; eligible costs; project implementation; and reporting.\n  9. Advice of advisory council on agriculture. The commissioner shall\nseek the recommendations and advice of the advisory council on\nagriculture regarding the development and promulgation of the request\nfor proposal rules and regulations and the submission of biennial\nreports for the food and agriculture industry development program.\n  10. Technology transfer. The commissioner, in consultation with the\nempire state development corporation, the Cornell cooperative extension\nservice and food and agriculture industry representatives, shall share\ntechnological innovations developed as a result of the food and\nagriculture industry development program with the food and agriculture\nindustry.\n  11. Preparation and distribution of reports. The commissioner shall\nsubmit a biennial report to the governor and legislature describing the\nprogress of the food and agriculture industry development program. The\nfirst report shall be submitted on or before September first, two\nthousand one.\n