Federal Register Notices
[Federal Register: August
30, 2010 (Volume 75,
Number 187)]
[Notices]
[Page 59683]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13au10-35]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Foreign Agricultural Service
Trade Adjustment Assistance for
Farmers
AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
The Administrator for the Foreign Agricultural
Service (FAS) has denied a petition (No.
2011014) for trade adjustment assistance for
dried prunes filed under the fiscal year (FY)
2011 program by the Prune Bargaining
Association. The petition was accepted for
review by USDA on August 11, 2010.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To qualify under the
program, Subtitle C of Title I of the Trade Act
of 2002 (Pub. L. 107– 210) states that petitions
must demonstrate, using data for the most
recent, full marketing year or full official
marketing season, a greater than 15-percent
decline in at least one of the following
factors: National average price, quantity of
production, value of production, or cash
receipts. According to the statute, it is also
necessary for the petition to demonstrate that
an increase in imports of like or directly
competitive articles, during the same marketing
period, contributed importantly to the decrease
in one of the above factors for the agricultural
commodity.
All petitions were analyzed by USDA’s Economic
Research Service and reviewed by the Trade
Adjustment Assistance for Farmers Program Review
Committee, comprised of representatives from
USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, Farm
Service Agency, Agricultural Marketing Service,
and FAS. After the review, the Administrator
determined that the petition demonstrated the
‘greater than 15-percent decline’ criterion,
because it showed a 17.1-percent decline in the
average annual price for 2009/2010, when
compared to the previous 3-year period.
Additionally, the import data provided for the
same time period showed a 54.2-percent increase,
meeting the ‘increase in imports’ criterion.
However, while the petition was able to
demonstrate that California dried prunes met the
‘greater than 15-percent decline’ criterion and
the ‘increase in imports’ criterion, the import
data, along with historical import trends showed
no inverse correlation between prices and the
quantity of imported dried prunes and prune
juice, a necessary requirement under the
program.
As a result, it was determined that imports were
not an important factor in determining the
average annual price of California dried prunes
in 2009/2010. Instead, ERS found that changes in
domestic prune production, inventories, exports,
and domestic consumption were the factors
affecting dried prune grower prices in
2009/2010.
Because the petition was unable to demonstrate
that the decline in average annual price was
importantly caused by an increase in imports,
the Administrator was not able to certify the
petition, making dried prune producers in
California ineligible for trade adjustment
assistance in FY 2011.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Trade Adjustment Assistance for
Farmers Program staff, Office of Trade
Programs, USDA; or by phone at (202)
720–0638 or (202) 690–0633; or by email
at: tradeadjustment@fas.usda.gov;
or visit the TAA for Farmers’ Web site
at:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/taa.
Dated: September 20, 2010
John D. Brewer,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 2010–24306 Filed 9–27–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–10–P
