Categorized | Agriculture

Shipping cost reimbursemnt program open to hawaii farmers and ranchers

MEDIA RELEASE

WASHINGTON— Hawaii farmers forced to deal with the high cost of transporting their goods to market may be eligible for federal relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Senators Daniel K. Inouye, Daniel K. Akaka and Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono announced today.

Senator Inouye worked with former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens to establish the reimbursement program in the 2008 Farm Bill. Congresswoman Hirono persuaded House conferees in 2008 to allow its inclusion in the final law.

The Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (RTCP) assists farmers and ranchers in Hawaii and other geographically disadvantaged areas located outside of the contiguous 48 states.

The Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (2010 Agricultural Appropriations Bill) provided $2.6 million for this Farm Bill program in fiscal year 2010.

“While Hawaii’s ecosystem aides crop production our location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean forces ranchers and farmers to incur tremendous shipping costs when bringing their goods to market,” said Senator Inouye. “This program will help them recoup some of that lost overhead and focus their resources on expanding their operations.”

“Hawaii’s unique location is both a blessing and a challenge for agriculture,” said Senator Akaka. “The tropical environment and weather help with crop production, but rising fuel costs have made shipping products and supplies very costly. This federal grant will help to level the playing field for Hawaii’s farmers and ranchers.”

“I’m so glad to finally see this program that Senator Inouye, Senator Akaka, and I fought so hard to include in the 2008 Farm Bill being implemented,” said Congresswoman Hirono. “Senator Inouye was successful in getting the language in the Senate version of the Farm Bill and I lobbied hard to get the House conferees to allow its inclusion in the final law. This program will assist our farmers and ranchers in Hawaii by helping to offset some of the transportation costs of items they need to produce the food and other products we use. It’ll also help Hawaii move toward self sufficiency in producing our own food while helping to protect the rural quality of life we value so much, especially on the Neighbor Islands.”

Sign-up for RTCP will begin on Aug. 2, 2010, and end on Sept. 10, 2010.

Applicants must file their RTCP application for benefits with their local Farm Service Agency county office no later than Sept. 10, 2010. Applicants have until Nov. 1, 2010, to provide documentation supporting shipping cost claims in fiscal year 2010 to the FSA county office.
For more information on the new RTCP program, farmers and ranchers in the eligible areas can visit or contact their local FSA county offices:

http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=hi&agency=fsa

For more information about the RTCP program go online at:

www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport

Click to access rtcp_2010.pdf

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