A plan to provide immediate support for New York's dairy farmers who are facing an imminent crisis was announced Tuesday by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.

The cornerstone of Gillibrand's plan is overhauling the milk pricing system with competitive pricing for New York dairy producers. It would also provide make the pricing system more transparent in an effort to fix a system where dairy farmers often pay more to produce their products than they make from selling them, Gillibrand said.

In the span of just five years, New York State lost 23 percent of its dairy farms. As of 2007, New York State is home to nearly 5,700 dairy farms, down from nearly 7,400 in 2002, according to the USDA.

Tompkins County had 84 dairy farms in 2007, a 3 percent loss from the 87 farms operating in 2002. Cortland County saw a 30 percent loss in dairy farms in that period from 178 farms in 2002 to 125 in 2007.

In Tioga County, 19 percent of the dairy farms closed, from 126 in 2002 to 102 in 2007. Broome County's dairy farms went from 68 to 49, a 28 percent loss, Chemung County went from 46 to 36, a 22 percent loss and Steuben County went from 333 dairy farms in 2002 to 254 in 2007, a 24 percent loss.

Gillibrand said she is also working to prevent looming cuts to the MILC (Milk Income Loss Contract) program, bolster New York's dairy exports, improve cold storage inventory reporting standards to stabilize dairy trading prices, and arm dairy farmers with more of the tools and information they need to thrive.

"Our dairy farmers are facing a real crisis, and we simply cannot wait until the Farm Bill to find solutions. We need to address this crisis now," Gillibrand said. "New York is home to the hardest working farm families and the finest dairy products in the world, but outdated regulations, broken pricing structures and a bad economy are hurting our dairy farmers, and farming communities across the state. We need to act now to support New York's dairy farms."