New USDA stocking rules would have bound retailers from November 4
Mamdani announced the agreement at a press conference on Friday. He said the extension began that day and followed his conversations with Trump and Rollins.
The guidelines, issued by the US agriculture department, required retailers to stock at least seven varieties within each staple food category — dairy, grains, protein, and fruits or vegetables — and to offer perishable items in three of the staple categories. Stores would have had to meet the requirements by November 4.
Mamdani said the rules threw the lives of “more than a million New Yorkers” and “tens of milllions more across America” into “chaos.”
“People already reckoning with a shortage of affordable places to buy what they need for their home, soaring costs at the register, and food deserts across the five boroughs, now feared that the few places they could shop would no longer be able to accept their benefits,” Mamdani said.
Several advocates were concerned that the new rules would mean people relying on SNAP would be unable to buy groceries at their only accessible store. The Food Research and Action Center estimates that bodegas, convenience stores and small grocery stores make up roughly 70% of SNAP retailers.
Given the tight timeframe to adjust their stock and meet the new requirements, small retailers ran the risk of going out of business if they couldn’t accept SNAP benefits, Mamdani said.
“For so many of our fellow Americans, whether they shop at a general store in Michigan or a convenience store in Missouri, would have struggled to use their benefits and feed those they love,” Mamdani said.
More than 100 bodega owners reached out to Mamdani’s office with concerns about the new rule. According to the New York City department of city planning, there are more than 10,000 bodegas and corner stores across the five boroughs.