Department of Agriculture August 25, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Rural Business-Cooperative Service programs are administered through USDA Rural Development. USDA Rural Development announces the availability of $300,000 in competitive cooperative agreement funds for fiscal year (FY) 2009 to conduct research on the national economic impact of all types of cooperatives. USDA Rural Development hereby requests proposals from institutions of higher education interested in applying for a competitively awarded cooperative research agreement. This funding is a follow through on to funding awarded in FY 2006, FY 2007 and FY 2008, the intent of which was to encourage research on the critical issue of the economic value of cooperatives. Funding for FY 2009 is expected to expand upon research undertaken with FY 2006, FY 2007 and FY 2008 funds.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 reauthorizes and modifies the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers program as established by Subtitle C of Title I of the Trade Act of 2002, which amended the Trade Act of 1974. 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 Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Administrator determines that increased imports of raw agricultural commodities, aquaculture products, or wild- caught aquatic species (jointly referred to as ``agricultural commodities'') 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 agricultural commodity specified in the certified petition compared to the average of the three preceding marketing years. The rule establishes the procedure by which a group can submit a petition for certification of eligibility and individual producers of agricultural commodities can apply for technical assistance and cash benefits for the development and implementation of approved business adjustment plans.