Program Plan
Department of Agriculture - FAS Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers Recovery Plan
Updated 05/13/2009
Objectives
Program Purpose
The Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers Program (TAAF) provides technical assistance and cash payments to assist qualified farmers and fishermen, adversely affected by imports, in adjusting their business operations to either be more competitive with imported products or to switch to production of commodities that could be more profitable.
Public Benefits
The TAAF program will provide free technical assistance to producers of agriculture products, aquaculture products and fishermen to assist them in becoming more competitive with imports of like products. Qualified producers will receive initial technical assistance training, intensive technical assistance training, and assistance in the development of an initial business plan and a long-term business adjustment plan. The Extension Service (CSREES) will provide technical assistance through their university partners located in the geographic region associated with the certified petition. Cash payments of up to $4,000 after the completion of an approved business plan, and up to $8,000 for the implementation of an approved long-term business plan, will be paid to participants through the Farm Service Agency (FSA).
Measures
The measures have been revised to enrich the performance metrics for Recovery targets. In some instances, targets will not be available until additional baseline data has been collected.
| Measure | Target/Actual |
|---|
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|
[-]
Number of jobs created or retained | 0/0 | - | - | - |
Measure Information
| Frequency : Quarterly | | Direction : Increasing | | Type : Output | | Explanation : No Data Available | | Unit : # |
|
[-]
Number of producers receiving initial technical assistance | 0/0 | - | - | - |
Measure Information
| Frequency : Quarterly | | Direction : Increasing | | Type : Output | | Explanation : No Data Available | | Unit : # |
|
[-]
Number of producers receiving intensive technical assistance | 0/0 | - | - | - |
Measure Information
| Frequency : Quarterly | | Direction : Increasing | | Type : Output | | Explanation : No Data Available | | Unit : # |
|
[-]
Number of producers receiving initial business plan technical assistance | 0/0 | - | - | - |
Measure Information
| Frequency : Quarterly | | Direction : Increasing | | Type : Output | | Explanation : No Data Available | | Unit : # |
|
[-]
Number of producers receiving long-term business adjustment plan assistance | 0/0 | - | - | - |
Measure Information
| Frequency : Long-term | | Direction : Increasing | | Type : Output | | Explanation : No Data Available | | Unit : # |
|
[-]
Amount of assistance (both in grants received and technical assistance provided) per:
State,
Commodity,
Producer,
Experts utilized in the provision of technical assistance
| 0/0 | - | - | - |
Measure Information
| Frequency : Long-term | | Direction : Increasing | | Type : Output | | Explanation : No Data Available | | Unit : $ |
|
Schedule and Milestones
Implementation of the FY 2009 Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers Program will be conducted to accomplish all milestones simultaneously.
Milestones
| Milestone |
Completion Date |
Development of Program Regulation, Group Petition Certification and Producer Application
Activity includes development of a Final Rule for implementation of the program, receipt of commodity specific petitions from producer groups and receipt of applications under certified petitions from individual producers.
|
No Data Available |
Development and Implementation of Outreach Plan
----------
FAS, CSREES, FSA, and the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will all be involved in the outreach effort. A plan is being developed to outline the outreach strategy for this program and the involvement of these agencies in its execution. FAS has established a website for TAAF which is now linked to USDA, FSA, CSREES and AMS websites. The plan calls for pro-active outreach to producers, producer organizations, State Departments of Agriculture, USDA employees at local USDA Service Centers, and extension educators at State universities and county offices. Accepted and certified petitions will be announced via Federal Register Notice, USDA press releases and website postings. The Training Coordination entity will also be engaged in providing outreach in coordination with federal TAAF agencies to all county Extension offices in the United States; the program information will explain program purpose and will be communicated in hard copy as well as through electronic means. |
No Data Available |
Development of Information Technology Requirements and Grant Agreement Execution
---------------
FSA is in the process of defining software requirements for management of producer applications and payments.
CSREES is in the process of developing requirements for competitive request for applications for university partners receiving grants to organize and implement the delivery of technical assistance. |
No Data Available |
Projects and Activities
CFDA: 10.609
The ARRA funds for TAAF technical assistance will be expended through CSREES grants to a land grant university to coordinate the delivery of technical assistance, and sub-grants to universities in regions for which group petitions have been certified to conduct the technical assistance programs which will include initial and intensive technical assistance and initial business plan and long-range business adjustment plan technical assistance. Grants of cash payments to eligible producers will be made through FSA once the approval of initial and long-term business adjustment plans has occurred. Funds will also be provided to FSA for contracting for software development and Information Technology support for tracking producer applications and payments under certified petitions. Additionally, ARRA funds will be applied to expenses of the Department in administering the program, as provided under ARRA legislation for TAAF.
Review Process
Metrics will continue to be under development and will be reviewed at the national level no less than annually.
FSA is adding additional measures to track performance related to the specific goals of the ARRA. All producers of certified commodities approved for receipt of technical assistance will be required to report on the number of jobs created or retained and status of execution of the grants on a quarterly basis.
Cost and Performance Plan
FAS, CSREES and FSA program managers will be responsible for implementing, improving, and monitoring program activities. Individual performance plans of FAS managers are tied to the Agency mission and goals contained in the FAS Strategic Plan. FAS will monitor overall program execution, CSREES will monitor the delivery of technical assistance projects and the Training Coordination entity will report directly to CSREES as well as to FAS, and FSA will monitor the individual producer application process and the development and functioning of IT and software requirements on a daily basis and will coordinate with the Training Coordination entity. Field reviews will also be conducted on a quarterly basis by involved agencies, commencing with the certification of group petitions.
Energy Efficiency Spending Plans
Not applicable to this program
Program Plan Award Types
No Data Available