WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2004 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service today re-certified a petition for shrimpers and shrimp producers in South Carolina under the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers program. These producers are now eligible to apply for TAA benefits.

Under the TAA program, USDA provides technical assistance and cash benefits to farmers and certain fishermen if increasing imports of a like or directly competitive commodity contributed importantly to a decline in producer prices and a loss of net farm or fishing income.

After investigation and analysis, FAS determined that increasing imports of frozen and fresh whole shrimp contributed importantly to a decline in the landed prices of shrimp in South Carolina during 2003 when compared to the applicable 1998-2002 base period.

Shrimpers and shrimp producers in South Carolina seeking assistance must apply between Nov. 29, 2004, and Feb. 28, 2005.

Shrimpers and shrimp producers who land and market their shrimp in South Carolina may obtain an application for TAA benefits (form FSA-229) from http://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/ eforms/mainservlet or from their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) service center. They can also check their local phone listings for the closest service center or go to http://fsa.usda.gov and click on "your local office" for contact information. General information about the TAA program can be found on the program’s Web site at http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/taa/taaindex.htm.

As part of the 2005 TAA program, shrimpers and shrimp producers who apply for TAA benefits are eligible for a variety of technical courses at no cost. Applicants who did not receive technical assistance under the fiscal 2004 TAA program must obtain the technical assistance prior to May 31, 2005, in order to be eligible for financial payments. Financial payments will not be made until after applications are certified.

#

PR 0270-04