By REBECCA SCHUELKE, rschuelke@nyfarmviability.org

SYRACUSE — The New York Center for Dairy Excellence will work to increase dairy farm profitability and build a stronger dairy industry.

The Center was recently formed under the New York Farm Viability Institute to provide coordination and leadership for collaborative, focused efforts that prioritize opportunities and obstacles to profitability on New York dairy farms and in the Northeast dairy industry.

“The New York Center for Dairy Excellence is in a unique position to bring together different people to work collectively. It’s an approach that will multiply and optimize New York’s dairy industry resources and expedite arriving at answers,’’ NYFVI Executive Director Thomas N. Sleight said.

The center will work to enhance and better utilize existing resources and will focus efforts on elements within the control of individual producers, Sleight said.