FACT SHEET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

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August 2010

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers 

Overview

Producers of raw agricultural 

commodities and fishery products that are determined by the 

Foreign Agricultural Service 

(FAS) administrator to have been 

adversely affected by imports 

may apply for technical assistance and cash payments under 

the Trade Adjustment Assistance 

(TAA) for Farmers program. 

Producers establish eligibility for 

these program benefits by submitting an application at their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) 

Service Center. The technical 

assistance is provided in several 

increments. 

Initial Technical Assistance is 

a locally scheduled 2 to 4-hour 

program orientation that explains how the program can help 

producers improve the yield and 

marketability of the affected agricultural commodity, determine 

the feasibility and desirability of 

substituting one or more alternative agricultural commodities 

for the commodity adversely 

affected by import competition, 

and offer advice and assistance 

on how to adjust to import competition. 

A producer who completes the 

orientation is eligible to participate in Intensive Technical 

Assistance, which is a series of 

workshops on marketing and 

production strategies, financial 

and business management, and 

alternative enterprises and business plan development. This 

training will prepare producers 

to develop an initial business 

plan and a long-term business 

adjustment plan to improve their 

competitiveness. Upon FSA’s 

approval of the initial business 

plan, the producer is eligible to 

receive a maximum $4,000 cash 

payment to implement his or her 

plan or to further develop a longterm business adjustment plan. 

Long-Term Business Adjustment 

Plan Training provides individual assistance to complete and 

implement a long-term business 

plan. Producers that complete a 

long-term plan are eligible to receive up to an additional $8,000 

cash payment.

TAA Implementation

The TAA for Farmers program is 

administered by FAS with FSA 

responsible for processing applications and making payments 

to eligible producers. The Center 

for Farm Financial Management 

at the University of Minnesota 

schedules and administers local 

technical training. Most training 

will be conducted by local extension service specialists who also 

are responsible for reviewing 

business plans and recommending cash benefits provided under 

the program. 

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 

111-5) reauthorizes and modifies 

the TAA for Farmers program as 

established by Subtitle C of Title 

I of the Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. 

L. 107-210), which amended the 

Trade Act of 1974. 

How Does a Commodity 

Qualify?

A group of producers (three or 

more) or commodity organizations may request a commodity 

to be certified as eligible for 

TAA for Farmers by submitting 

FAS-930, Petition for Certification, to FAS in Washington, DC. 

This form is available online 

at http://forms.sc.egov.usda.

gov/eforms/mainservlet. For a 

commodity to qualify, the FAS 

Administrator must determine 

that increased imports of the agricultural commodity contributed 

significantly to a greater than 15 

percent decline in its national 

average price, or quantity of production, or value of production, 

or cash receipts compared to the 

average of the three preceding 

marketing years. 

To be eligible, a commodity 

must be in its raw or natural state 

as defined in chapters 1, 3, 4, 5, 

6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 23, 24, 41, 51, 

or 52 of the Harmonized Tariff 

Schedule of the United States. 

These schedules are at http://

www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/bychapter/index.htm. 

When a petition has been accepted for review, FAS will publish 

a notice in the Federal Register 

and initiate an investigation. 

Such notice shall identify the agricultural commodity, including 

any similar or directly competitive commodities, the marketing year under investigation, 

data being used for comparison/

determination, and production 
FACT SHEET

TAA for Farmers August 2010

area covered by the petition. This 

notice provides an opportunity 

for other producers of the commodity or related commodities to 

join or request a public hearing 

about the petition.

FAS will complete its review 

of each petition and announce 

no later than 40 calendar days 

after the petition has been accepted for review whether the 

commodity has been “certified” 

(approved for benefits) and the 

marketing year of such certification. The certification announcement will also be published in 

the Federal Register. 

Applicant eligibility requirements

Application Submission: Producers of certified commodities 

may apply for benefits of the 

TAA for Farmers program by 

submitting a written application (FSA-229-1) to their local 

FSA Service Center within 90 

calendar days after the application period is announced in the 

Federal Register. The application 

form is available at FSA offices 

or at: http://forms.sc.egov.usda.

gov/eforms/mainservlet. If the 

application period ends on a 

weekend or holiday, the producer 

may apply the following business day.

Production and Price Requirements: To be eligible for technical assistance and cash payments a producer must: 1) have 

produced the commodity during 

the specific marketing year 

for which the commodity was 

determined eligible and at least 

one of the three marketing years 

preceding that year; and 2) certify or document compliance to 

establish compliance with one of 

the following three options. Option 1: Did the applicant produce 

less of the commodity during 

the marketing year for which the 

petition is certified than during 

the most recent marketing year 

preceding the petition marketing 

year. Option 2: Did the applicant or producers of the certified 

commodity in the same state 

or region receive a lower price 

for production of the petitioned 

commodity during the petition 

marketing year compared to the 

average price received during 

the prior three years in which 

the commodity was produced. 

Option 3: Is USDA’s state or 

regional price for the petitioned 

commodity on the petition filing 

date less than USDA’s average county price for the past 

three consecutive marketing 

years. Applicants selected for 

spot check must provide documentation of their compliance 

with these production and price 

requirements. 

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) 

and Payment Limit Requirements: To be eligible for both 

technical assistance and payments a producer must comply 

with AGI requirements. For 

2008 commodities the total 

AGI limit is $2.5 million and 

the three years for which AGI is 

determined are 2005, 2006 and 

2007. For 2009 and subsequent 

crops, the applicant’s average 

adjusted gross nonfarm income 

must be $500,000 or less for the 

three taxable years immediately 

preceding the full taxable year 

for which the petition is certified. 

(Example: for a 2009-crop TAAF 

commodity, the AGI is averaged 

for 2005, 2006 and 2007.) An 

applicant whose income exceeds 

the applicable AGI limit is ineligible for any assistance under 

TAA for Farmers.

TAA for Farmers business plan 

payments count toward the 

limitations applicable to countercyclical and the Average Crop 

Revenue Election payments of 

$65,000 per crop year. Therefore, if an applicant has exceeded such payment limit for the 

marketing year of the TAA for 

Farmers petition, the applicant 

is ineligible for business plan 

payments and reimbursement of 

training-related travel expenses; 

however, that applicant is eligible for training and technical 

assistance.

According to rules established 

for the TAA for Farmers program, a producer who receives 

benefits for a certified commodity may not receive benefits 

under another TAA for Farmers petition or under the TAA 

for workers or firms programs. 

Applicants cannot receive more 

than $12,000 in a 36-month 

period immediately following 

the petition certification date. 

Travel reimbursements do not 

count against this $12,000 limit. 

(Payments received under fiscal 

year 2004 through 2006 TAA 

programs do not limit eligibility 

for these new benefits). 

Technical Assistance and Business Plan Requirements: Applicants meeting basic eligibility requirements for TAA for Farmers 

will have access to four training 

components or phases: Initial 

Orientation; Intensive Technical 

Assistance; Initial Business Plan; 

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and Long-Term Business Adjustment Plan Training. Attendance 

at the orientation training is a 

prerequisite for receiving intensive technical assistance and 

long term business adjustment 

plan training and cash benefits. 

Producers are required to attend 

orientation training within 180 

calendar days of the petition certification date. Applicants may 

request reimbursement for travel 

expenses incurred to attend 

orientation training subject to 

federal travel guidelines. Travel 

costs are not reimbursed for attending any subsequent training. 

Producers who complete the 

orientation are eligible for a 

series of workshops customized 

to address key topics for improving the profitability of producers 

of the eligible commodity. This 

training also will help participants develop an initial business 

plan. Participation in workshops 

is expected to require no less 

than 12 hours. Applicants who 

complete the required training 

and an approved initial business plan will be eligible for a 

cash payment of up to $4,000 to 

implement the plan or to develop 

a long-term business adjustment 

plan. 

Upon FSA approval of the initial business plan, participants 

will be eligible to receive help 

developing a long-term business adjustment plan. Upon 

approval of the completed plan, 

the producer is eligible to receive 

an additional payment of up to 

$8,000 to implement the plan. 

Producers must complete their 

plan(s) within 36 months from 

the petition certification date. 

Criteria for approval of the business plans will be presented to 

producers during intensive technical assistance training sessions.

Program Funding Limitation

USDA may authorize reimbursement to applicants (at federal 

travel rates) for travel expenses 

incurred to attend Phase I training; however, because program 

funds are capped at $90 million 

for FY 2010 and $22.5 million 

for FY 2011, business plan payments ($4,000 for the initial plan 

and $8,000 for the long-term 

adjustment plan) may be reduced 

so disbursements do not exceed 

available funding.

USDA will not know the likelihood or severity of any such 

payment reduction until the 

close of all petition enrollment 

periods within a fiscal year. The 

$90 million appropriated for 

FY 2010, for example, is sufficient to disburse average travel 

expenses and maximum business plan payments for about 

7,300 applicants. For example, 

if 20,000 producers enroll, 

participate and qualify for both 

plan payments, total payment 

to any one applicant could not 

exceed $4,500 inclusive of travel 

expenses. 

Important Deadlines

Request for Commodity Approval: A group of individuals or 

their commodity representatives 

must submit petitions requesting certification of a 2008 or 

subsequent-crop commodity for 

benefits no later than the last day 

of the filing period announced 

in the Federal Register. Petitions received late will not be 

accepted. 

Petition Filing Date: The petition filing date is the date the 

commodity petition (FAS 930) 

was received and determined 

acceptable by FAS. The petition filing date is important to 

applicants that are establishing 

their eligibility based on whether 

USDA’s county price on the 

petition filing date is less than 

USDA’s average county price for 

the three marketing years preceding the petition filing date.

Deadline for Request of Public 

Hearing about Petition: The 

FAS administrator will publish 

a notice in the Federal Register 

for each commodity petition accepted for consideration. Within 

10 calendar days following 

the publication of such notice, 

interested parties may request a 

public hearing or submit comments in regard to that petition. 

Request to Become Party to 

Petition: A group of producers 

outside of the state or region 

identified in any petition accepted for consideration may submit 

a request to become a party to 

that petition no later than 15 calendar days after the date that the 

notice announcing that a petition 

has been accepted is published in 

the Federal Register.

Certification of Eligibility Date:

The certification date is the date 

when the FAS administrator announces in the Federal Register 

or by department news release, 

whichever comes first, that a 

petition has been certified and 

producers may apply for benefits. The certification date starts 

the 90-calendar-day application 

period for producers of that commodity.

FACT SHEET

TAA for Farmers August 2010

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FACT SHEET

TAA for Farmers August 2010

Producer Application Deadline: Producer applications 

(FSA-229-1) must be received 

by FSA no later than the last day 

of the 90-calendar-day applica-

tion period announced for each 

approved commodity. Applica-

tions received late will not be 

approved for benefits.

Business Plan Completion 

Deadline: The initial and longterm business adjustment plans 

must be completed and approved 

within 36 months from the peti-

tion certification date.

Appeals

Producers may appeal any eli-

gibility or benefit disapprovals 

under TAA for Farmers to the 

deputy administrator, Office of 

Trade Programs, FAS. Any final 

determination provided by FAS 

may be appealed to the United 

States Court of International 

Trade in New York City. De-

tailed instructions for submitting 

appeals are provided to produc-

ers whose requested benefits are 

denied or reduced. 

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) prohibits discrimination in 

all its programs and activities on the 

basis of race, color, national origin, 

age, disability, and where applicable, 

sex, marital status, familial status, 

parental status, religion, sexual 

orientation, genetic information, 

political beliefs, reprisal, or because 

all or part of an individual’s income 

is derived from any public assistance 

program. (Not all prohibited bases 

apply to all programs.) Persons with 

disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program 

information (Braille, large print, 

audiotape, etc.) should contact 

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 

720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a 

complaint of Discrimination, write 

to USDA, Director, Office of Civil 

Rights, 1400 Independence Ave. 

SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or 

call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 

720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer.