The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) today announced that the State’s apple industry has voted in support of continuing the Apple Research and Development program (ARDP). New York apple growers are asked to approve of the program through a referendum vote every six years. The program is administered by AGM.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “The Apple Research and Development program has been important to funding much-needed research in pest management, potential disease, and other areas that make an impact on our farmers’ crops. We thank our growers for participating in the referendum vote and look forward to continuing to support the program moving forward.”

The ARDP was first established in 1990 by New York’s apple industry to fund research activities. In recent years, the ARDP has been collecting nearly $400,000 in grower assessments annually, which are used to fund research critical to increasing the profitability of New York’s apple growers. Research is conducted in the areas of pest management, bacterial infection, proper storage, product research, and overall best practices for growing and harvesting apples. The ARDP Advisory Board makes recommendations on the projects and establishes priorities based on the regions they represent.

For additional information on all current Marketing Order programs, including the ARDP, please visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/farming/marketing-order-administration.