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MONTPELIER â Taxpayers spent $285 million supporting the stateâs dairy industry between 2010 and 2019, according to the state auditor.
Tax breaks and the Current Use Program contributed to the bulk of the support, said State Auditor Doug Hoffer on Tuesday. His office released a report earlier this week on the subject. Also, it looks at support the industry has received in order to help it comply with water-quality protection laws.
Hoffer said the goal of the report is to spark conversation in the Legislature and in the Governorâs Commission about the Future of Vermont Agriculture about what the state is getting for what it spends. The latter was created earlier this year and plans to draft recommendations for lawmakers on the dairy industryâs future.
Mon, 05/10/2021 - 5:00pm tim
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Auditor Doug Hoffer today released a first-ever comprehensive accounting of Vermont state government’s total annual spending in support of Vermont’s dairy industry. From State fiscal year 2010 to 2019, the State Auditor’s Office estimates that Vermont taxpayers spent more than $285 million on programs and policies to support the dairy industry and/or address adverse environmental impacts caused by some dairy practices. In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year of the analysis, spending totaled more than $35 million.
“Every Vermonter knows the important historical contribution dairy farming has made to our state’s economy and identity,” said Auditor Hoffer. “We also know the last few decades have been extremely challenging for small- and mid-sized dairy farms. Below-cost payments from milk processors, industry consolidation, water quality requirements – these and other pressures help explain why V