For Immediate Release: March 4, 2008
Department of Agriculture Assists Catfish Producers
Catfish Feed Grant Applications Due March 28
(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for the Catfish Grant Program designed to assist Missouri catfish producers who suffered feed losses as a result of natural disasters in 2005-2007. The Catfish Grant Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. Missouri currently has 18 catfish farms in the state.
“The entire state of Missouri was affected by natural disasters during 2005-2007. Many catfish producers had feed losses during that time,” said Katie Smith, director of MDA. “These funds will help producers get assistance for their losses and allow them to continue to be contributors to Missouri aquaculture.”
To be eligible for the funds, producers must have raised catfish in a controlled environment and maintain catfish for commercial use as part of their farming operation and who have a risk in the production. Eligible losses include physical loss of catfish feed that was damaged or destroyed, increased feed costs and cost associated to lost feeding days that occurred as a result of a natural disaster. Applicants must have been commercially raising catfish during the period of Jan. 1, 2005 – Dec. 31, 2007.
Producers who qualify for a grant will be paid the lesser of their documented losses or a maximum rate of $24-$29 per ton of catfish feed bought in 2005-2007. The natural disaster categories include: hail, drought, lightning, tornadoes, severe storms, wildfires, high winds, excessive heat, below normal temperatures, winter storms and excessive moisture. A complete list of natural disaster designations is located at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
Applications will be accepted through Friday, March 28, 2008. For an application and a complete list of guidelines for the grant, visit www.mda.mo.gov/AgBusiness/aqua/catfishgrantpgm.htm. Producers with questions regarding the application or the program are encouraged to contact the Missouri Department of Agriculture at (573) 526-6666 or bart.hawcroft@mda.mo.gov.
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