NORWICH – Chenango’s farming community says that if a proposed $15 an hour minimum wage goes into effect, the impact on the agriculture community would drive many area farms into the ground.

Last week, the New York Farm Bureau released their priority list for the 2016 legislative session. Topping that list: Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour for workers across the board.

NYFB says the governor’s plan would dramatically affect farms’ competitiveness and cost them an estimated $500 million in additional annual labor costs alone. Pair that with tumbling milk and commodity prices, and it’s a formula for disaster, the organization argues.

And Chenango County’s farming community agrees.

“It’s not a good thing for agriculture,” said Chenango Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers. “For agriculture, it means that just like all other employers, less people will be employed. Less people will be able to assist in the industry.”