New York’s $30M Tariff Relief Program Is Live — Who Qualifies, and Who Doesn’t
New York is the first state to issue tariff relief checks for certain farmers
New York’s $30 million Agricultural Resiliency Against Tariffs Program opened for applications on June 29 and runs through August 11, 2026. It’s structured relief for farmers who took it on the chin from 2025 tariffs, but the eligibility rules have some teeth your clients should understand before they apply.
The money. The Department of Agriculture and Markets is cutting direct payments from $1,000 to $25,000, through two tracks: Track 1 for cow dairy farms and Track 2 for livestock, livestock products, specialty crops, and aquaculture. Track 1 is built on 2025 milk production; Track 2 runs off 2025 New York adjusted gross farm revenue. A farm with products in both tracks can apply to each, but the combined payment is capped at $25,000 per legal business entity.
Who qualifies. The applicant must have been in business in 2025 and still be operating, must have active New York production of an eligible product, and must clear the state’s eligible-farmer income test — at least two-thirds of federal gross income (which has to top $30,000) coming from agriculture. That income figure must be certified and attested by a qualified financial professional, so if you serve farm clients, expect to be part of the application and on Track 2 a third-party certifier also signs off on the adjusted gross farm revenue itself.
