2010-5238. Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers

AGENCY:

Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice.

The Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), will begin accepting Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers petitions for fiscal year 2010 beginning March 11, 2010. Petitioners may file a form FAS-930 or their own submission setting forth the information required by 7 CFR part 1580.201(c) with FAS from March 11, 2010, through April 14, 2010.

Petitioners must file their petition in accordance with 7 CFR part 1580.201. The petition must be received by the TAA for Farmers Staff by close of business April 14, 2010. The petition must be sent in writing to the Foreign Agricultural Service, OTP/IPERD, MS-1021, Washington, DC 20250-1021, or by facsimile to [phone], or by e-mail to [e-mail]. The use of fax or e-mail is recommended.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-5) reauthorized the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers program as established by Subtitle C of Title I of the Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-210), which amended the Trade Act of 1974. The statute authorizes an appropriation of not more than $90 million for each fiscal year 2009 through 2010, and $22.5 million for the period October 1 through December 31, 2010, to carry out the program. The regulations covering the program are found at 7 CFR part 1580.

Under this program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides technical assistance and cash benefits to eligible producers of raw agricultural commodities and fishermen (jointly referred to as “producers”) when the FAS Administrator determines that increased imports of raw agricultural commodities, aquaculture products, or wild-caught aquatic species (each referred to as “commodity”) have contributed importantly to a greater than 15 percent decrease in the national average price, or quantity of production, or value of production, or cash receipts for the commodity specified in the petition compared to the average of the 3 preceding marketing years.

To qualify, a group of producers or its authorized representative must petition the Administrator (FAS) for trade adjustment assistance. Petitions will be reviewed for completeness and timeliness. Once the petition is completed in accordance with 7 CFR part 1580.201, a notice of acceptance of the petition will be published in the Federal Register. An investigation will be initiated to verify whether or not for the most recent marketing year and for the commodity produced by the group, increased imports contributed importantly to a greater than 15 percent decrease in the national average price, or quantity of production, or value of production, or cash receipts for the agricultural commodity specified in the petition, compared to the average of the 3 preceding marketing years. If any one of these conditions is met, the Administrator (FAS) will certify the group as eligible for trade adjustment assistance and publish a notice of the certification in the Federal Register.

Eligible producers covered by the certification must file individual applications for assistance with the Farm Service Agency, USDA, within 90 days of the certification.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE IN COMPLETING FORM FAS-930, CONTACT:

The Trade Adjustment Assistance Staff, FAS, USDA, at [phone], or by e-mail: [e-mail]. Additional program information can be obtained at the website for the TAA for Farmers program. The URL is http://www.fas.usda.gov/​itp/​taa/​taa.asp.

Dated: February 25, 2010.

John D. Brewer,

Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.