Posted January 13, 2015
Senator
Chuck Schumer is establishing an insurance program benefiting Capital region
farmers growing malt barley for craft beer and distilling industry, according
to a Daily Journal article available here.
ABC News10 also published an article available here
and WKBW here.
Malt
barley is essential to the growth of the craft beer industry.
Currently,
there is no federal insurance for malt barley in New York, making it
difficult for craft brewers, because they will be required by law to source 90
percent of ingredients from local farms and malt houses, according to News
10.
“All you
need is some bad weather, hail or early frost or it can be some international
condition. All of a sudden another country jumps a huge amount of product on
the market. And you’re stuck. So farmers more than just about anyone need
insurance,” said Schumer.
Schumer
will discuss the issue late Monday morning at the Albany Distilling Company.
For more information on crop insurance programs, please
visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
