ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Anti-hunger advocates in New York are cheering the passage of a new tax credit for farmers who donate fruits and vegetables to foodbanks.
The initiative was included in a $153 billion state budget that won final legislative approval on Sunday.
Farmers already donate millions of pounds of food every year, but say a tax credit for donations would reduce the costs of harvesting and transporting surplus crops that would otherwise go to waste.
The idea was supported by environmentalists and anti-hunger advocates who say it’s a cost-effective way of reducing food waste while giving poor New Yorkers access to healthy fruits and vegetables.
The credit is limited to $5,000 per year.
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