U.S. catfish farmers petition USDA for trade relief
A group of U.S. catfish farming associations asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service for trade adjustment assistance.
The groups listed in the petition are Catfish Farmers of America, Indianola, Miss.; Rutledge & Rutledge, Newport, Ark.; and the Western Regional Chapter of Kentucky Aquaculture Association, Farmington, Ky.
The FAS administrator will determine in the next 40 days whether or not imports of fresh, chilled, or frozen catfish fillets contributed significantly to a 20-percent decline in domestic producer prices. If this is the case, all catfish farmers represented by the petitioners will be eligible to apply to the Farm Service Agency for technical assistance at not cost and adjustment assistance payments.