Mar 17th 2008, 06:32

Help For Commodity Farmers And Producers

Government assistance for losses due to forced price reduction

Business is a tough ring to fight in.  Local producers/farmers must contend with foreign competitors that offer similar products at cheaper prices.

Local farmers may seek help from the Foreign Agricultural Service’s Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).  It provides technical assistance and payments of up to $10,000 yearly for concerned individuals.

You can check their petition registry to see if you’re already eligible for benefits.  If not, then you can form a group, comprising not less than 3 producers, and file a petition for yourself or on behalf of producers who are suffering the same losses.  When approved, you may apply for TAA benefits.

You can be eligible if you incur price reduction of at least 20% in the most recent marketing year based from the national average price of the last 5 marketing years, caused by an increase of foreign imports.  You must also be either of the following:

• An owner, operator, landlord, or share cropper of approved raw agricultural commodity like livestock, fish, and aquaculture products
• A farmer, rancher, fish farmer, or fisherman competing with imported approved commodities

You have 90 days to apply at FSA’s County Administration Office after getting a certified petition for benefits.  You may also receive a maximum of $65,000 in combined counter-cyclical and TAA payments.  TAA’s free technical assistance will be available to applicants within 180 days from getting a certified petition.  The TAA’s Extension Service will contact applicants with times and dates of scheduled training.

This assistance service may run as long as there is a continued rise in imported products that force producers to decrease commodity prices to or below the 80% national average pricing.

Call 202-720-0638 for additional information.

 

 

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