|
TDA offers disaster recovery grants to catfish farmersTexas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced The Texas Department of Agriculture is currently accepting applications for the Catfish Feed Grant Program. Producers who suffered catfish feed losses due to natural disasters between Jan. 2, 2005 and Feb. 27, 2007 are eligible to apply for the program. Disasters include: Drought, excessive heat, wildfires, hail, tornadoes, high winds and severe rainstorms. The program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "When a natural disaster strikes it can take years for families and businesses to rebuild. This grant money is assisting catfish farmers who are still struggling, to get back to business and improve the aquaculture industry in Texas," Commissioner Staples said.
Under federal guidelines, an eligible producer is one who: --Raises aquaculture species in a controlled environment as part of a farming operation; --Has risk in the production of the species; --Suffered catfish feed losses as a direct result of a Presidential or Secretarial declared disaster during Jan. 2, 2005 to Feb. 27, 2007; --Has records on file with the USDA Farm Service Agency showing compliance with program adjusted gross income limitations and conservation compliance provisions; and --Has not received assistance under other disaster programs for the same aquaculture loss.
Producers applying for assistance must be able to verify feed losses with supporting documentation, such as receipts and feed bills. Producers with questions about the program should contact Catherine Wright Steele, External Relations, at 512-475-1615 or catherine.wright-steele@tda.state.tx.us. Payments are limited to $80,000 per person and cannot exceed actual feed losses. A general partnership or joint venture may receive a maximum total assistance amount of $80,000 multiplied by the number of members in the general partnership or joint venture. Applications are available on the TDA website or by contacting TDA. Completed application materials and supporting documents must be received by Jan. 15, 2008. Materials should be mailed to the Texas Department of Agriculture at 2007 Catfish Feed Grant Program, P.O. Box 12847 Austin, TX 78711 or faxed to 888-203-5567. 12/31/07 Date: 12/24/07
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2008. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
