USDA ready to take petitions for trade relief from farmers

USDA ready to take petitions for trade relief from farmers    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service will accept petitions for its fiscal year 2005 Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers program from Aug. 16 to Jan. 31, 2005.
   The 2002 Trade Act established the program to provide both technical assistance and cash benefits to groups of farmers and fishermen negatively impacted by imports. The statute authorizes an appropriation of not more than $90 million for each fiscal year through 2007 to carry out the program.
   Once a petition has been accepted, the agency will determine whether the most recent marketing year price for the commodity produced by the group is less than 80 percent of the average of the national average prices for the five marketing years preceding the most recent marketing year. The agency will also determine whether increases in imports of similar products contributed significantly to the decline in price. If these conditions are met, the agency will certify the group as eligible for trade assistance.
   For more information about the program, access online: https://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/taa/taaindex.htm.