What is Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers and Fishermen?

The Trade Act of 1974, as amended by the Trade Act of 2002, established Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers. The Trade Act of 1974 was created by Congress to provide business owners and their employees relief from hardships created by foreign import competition.

The purpose of TAA for Farmers is to help agricultural producers and fishermen adjust to import competition. The amended program provides technical assistance and cash benefits to eligible farmers and fishermen from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and access to Department of Labor (DOL) retraining and education programs.

Traditional TAA has provided technical assistance and labor retraining services to non-agricultural businesses and employees. TAA for farmers expands the benefits to include:

• Technical assistance from the Extension Service to assist producers and fishermen in exploring alternative commodities, marketing opportunities, and alternative enterprises.
• A cash payment of up to $10,000 depending on the amount of product harvested.
• Retraining and education to help producers and fishermen transition to a different career, including tuition for up to 104 weeks of full-time classroom education.

For complete information about the TAA Program, please visit the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmer’s and Fishermen website.