TDA offers grants for catfish farmers dealing with disasters back to 2005

The Texas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the Catfish Feed Grant Program available to producers who suffered catfish feed losses due to natural disasters between Jan. 2, 2005 and Feb. 27, 2007.

Disasters may include drought, excessive heat, wildfires, hail, tornadoes, high winds and severe rainstorms.

The program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"When a natural disaster strikes it can take years for families and businesses to rebuild," TDA Commissioner Todd Staples said. "This grant money is assisting catfish farmers who are still struggling to get back to business and improve the aquaculture industry in Texas."

Under federal guidelines, an eligible producer is one who raises aquaculture species in a controlled environment as part of a farming operation; has risk in the production of the species; suffered catfish feed losses as a direct result of a Presidential or Secretarial declared disaster from Jan. 2, 2005 to Feb. 27, 2007; has records on file with the USDA Farm Service Agency showing compliance with program adjusted gross income limitations and conservation compliance provisions; and has not received assistance under other disaster programs for the same aquaculture loss.

Producers applying for assistance must be able to verify feed losses with supporting documentation, such as receipts and feed bills.

Producers with questions about the program should contact Catherine Wright Steele, External Relations, at 512- 475-1615 or catherine.wrightsteele@ tda.state.tx.us.

Payments are limited to $80,000 per person and cannot exceed actual feed losses. A general partnership or joint venture may receive a maximum total assistance amount of $80,000 multiplied by the number of members in the general partnership or joint venture.

Applications are available on the TDA Web site or by contacting TDA.

Completed application materials and supporting documents must be received by Jan. 15, 2008.

Materials should be mailed to the Texas Department of Agriculture at 2007 Catfish Feed Grant Program, P.O. Box 12847 Austin, TX 78711 or faxed to 888-203-5567.