Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers ($15,000,000)
The requested funding would be used to assist geographically disadvantaged farmers in Hawaii, Alaska, and the Caribbean and Pacific Island Basin to be competitive in interstate and foreign commerce.
The initiative has its origins in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, which required the Secretary of Agriculture to report on transportation and ownership and operation issues faced by geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Based on this study, this initiative was authorized in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-324).
For many years, and especially since the era of rising fuel costs, farmers and ranchers outside of the contiguous states have operated at a competitive disadvantage. The high cost of transporting inputs for production purposes and transporting products to markets in the mainland United States and other countries have resulted in production and freight charges that preclude many geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers from being competitive.
Recipient: Hawaii Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture
2343 Rose Street
Honolulu, HI 96819
Why this is a good use of taxpayer dollars: This project will help farmers and ranchers outside of the contiguous states offset the high cost of transporting inputs for production purposes and transporting products to markets in the mainland United States. Keeping these farmers in agriculture is important for the food security of the noncontiguous areas of the United States.
