Risk Management Training
Opportunities Resulting from
TAA for Catfish
Terry Hanson, Jimmy Avery, John Anderson, and Gregg Ibendahl
Mississippi State University Extension Service
TAA Background


Congress extends Foreign Agricultural Service’s
TAA program to include farmers and fishermen
Producers of raw commodities, who have been
adversely affected by import competition, are
eligible for:

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
Technical assistance – USDA Extension Service
Cash benefits – USDA Farm Service Agency
Education Assistance – US Dept. of Labor
Business Assistance – US Dept. of Commerce
Farm-raised Catfish was certified eligible in 18 states on
November 17, 2003
Commodity Certified
Products Deadline
Application Deadline
Training Deadline
Documentation Deadline
and Extended Training
Products Program
11/17/03
0
12/31/03
Technical Assistance
2/17/04
5/17/04
9/30/04
90
180
320
Application FSA
Completion of FSA Documentation
TAA Product Development

Core Writing Team


Advisory and Review Panel
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Avery, Hanson, and Anderson - MSU
Jesse Chappel, Auburn University
Jerry Crews, Auburn University
Carole Engle, University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff
David Heikes, University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff
Greg Lutz, Louisiana State University
Mike Masser, Texas A&M University
Jim Tidwell, Kentucky State University
University of Minnesota Digital Center
TAA Products: On-Line Course
Overview
Program Deadlines
Training Sessions
Online Course
Other Resources
Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) For Farmers
CATFISH
Technical Assistance
2003 / 2004
Resources
©2004 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
TAA Products: PowerPoint Presentation*
for Educators
TAA Technical Assistance
for Catfish
Purpose:
To assist agricultural
producers & fishermen
adjust to foreign import
competition
* 230 Slides with Narration notes
TAA Products: Curriculum Guide
Training Requirements



No cost to producer
Producers must have access to training in the
county in which they reside
Each applicant must receive the same quality
of training
Potential Clientele

Unofficial Mississippi Agricultural Statistics
Survey (MASS)estimate:


Potential of 646 producers in 60 counties
Official MASS reported producers:

405 producers
Train-the-Trainer

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60 County Directors, Area Agents, and
Specialists
Taught by Distance Learning
Required to advertise deadlines and all
training opportunities
Provided with DVD/Video, curriculum guides,
evaluation forms, and certification forms
Received professional training credits if they
passed performance evaluation
Trainer Responsibility

Help Advertise/Promote Regional Meetings


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Local paper, newsletter, mail out
Urge farmers to attend regional meetings
Provide Training for “Walk-ins”
Keep track of expenses and efforts
Training Opportunities

Regional Meetings

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
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Delta Research &
Extension Center
Central MS
Research &
Extension Center
MSU Campus
County Meetings
Walk-ins
Clientele Served
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
152 applicants in 18 Mississippi counties
122 Mississippi applicants (80%) received
training

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Regional meetings = 100
County Training = 22
3 out-of-state applicants were trained


Arkansas = 2
Louisiana = 1
Training Evaluation*
Advertisement
100%
67%
80%
60%
41%
40%
20%
4%
2%
0%
NWAC
* 76% response rate
Catfish
Journal
News
County
Director
Training Evaluation
Quality
5
4.6
4.1
4
3
2
1
Speakers
Information
Training Evaluation
Future
96%
100%
80%
60%
30%
40%
20%
0%
Continue Farming
More Assistance
Payments

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86 applicants (57%) received payments
$260,444 paid
Average payment = $3,028 per applicant
86.8 million lbs or 1 million lbs per applicant
240 acres per applicant
Problems

Maintaining communication with FSA


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Status of applicants
Training Deadline Extension
Dept. of Commerce Labor training void
Fee for Service Contract
Training in other seafood commodities
TAA Follow-up

Grant from SRRMEC to conduct follow up
training of TAA participants

First step was a survey to ascertain training
priorities and preferred delivery methods
Follow-up Survey Results


Survey respondents indicated interest in
receiving more in-depth training on financial
planning/management and ways to improve
production efficiency
There was no clear consensus on the
preferred method for receiving this
information, though workshops and
publications were both fairly highly rated
Additional Training Plans

This summer, workshops will be conducted to
build on information presented in the TAA
program


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Two workshops: MS Delta & East MS production
regions
Focus will be on financial planning/management
and improving production systems
A series of new extension publications is being
prepared to accompany this training
Other TAA Benefits

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Opportunities for multi-disciplinary extension
publications and meetings
Acquainting more catfish producers with
agricultural economics faculty and programs
Providing important feedback on producer
needs in terms of extension information and
programs