Asparagus producers eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance
Washington Ag Today June 29, 2010 The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service has certified a petition for asparagus under the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers Program, or TAA. That means asparagus producers have 90-days to apply for training and benefits under TAA. Program benefits include cash payments and free technical training designed to help producers develop and implement business adjustment plans. Interested producers can apply at their local Farm Service Agency office. USDA determined that increased imports of asparagus during 2009 contributed to a greater than 15 percent decline in the quantity of production in 2009 compared to the average of the three preceding marketing years. ? Officials from Washington State University and the Gates Foundation broke ground last Friday on a 62-thousand square-foot, three-story flagship research building for a new School for Global Animal Health. The school will focus on zoonotic diseases, those that are transferred from animal to humans. WSU President Elson Floyd says he is convinced the university has the faculty and researchers dedicated to the elimination of zoonotic diseases. Floyd: “There is no doubt that with this facility and the expertise of this remarkable faculty we will be able to do exactly that, that is to eradicate diseases that are transferred from animals to humans. It is a significant moment in the life of Washington State University.” Construction begins immediately thanks to a 25-million dollar grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with state bonds and private gifts providing the balance of the cost. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net.
