USDA approves four shipper petitions for trade help, rejects three

USDA approves four shipper petitions for trade help, rejects three    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service has approved three petitions from state shrimper groups for trade adjustment assistance.
   The shrimper groups from Arizona, North Carolina, and Florida demonstrated that increased farmed shrimp imports contributed to decline in the price of their shrimp by more than 20 percent over a five-year period, an essential requirement to receive assistance.
   After completing applications, these producers may receive technical help from the USDA’s Extension Service free of charge and an “adjustment assistance payment,” if certain program criteria are met.
   The agency also granted similar assistance to the Florida-based Tropical Fruit Growers’ lychee producers, but rejected another petition from the same group for its fresh longan producers.
   In addition, the USDA rejected trade adjustment assistance petitions from the National Alfalfa Alliance representing alfalfa seed producers in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, and a group of apple growers in Rappahannock County, Va.