Department of Agriculture

HONOLULU —  Hawai`i aquaculture farmers may now apply for federal stimulus money to help offset high feed prices they experienced last year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allocated $150,526 as Hawai`i’s portion of $50 million feed stimulus funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This grant program is being administered through the Aquaculture Development Program of the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture (HDOA).

Some of the qualifications for this grant include:

• Producers must provide documents indicating an average adjusted gross income of less than $2.5 million for 2005-2007
• Feed costs for 2008 exceeded 25 percent of the total input costs for the operation
• Producers must have complied with certain federal wetlands conservation requirements
• Producers must be a recognized vendor in the State Procurement System and be in compliance with the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the State Tax Office
• Producer must not have applied or received assistance from other disaster or feed subsidy programs for the same species of aquaculture for 2008.

 

Reimbursement amounts are limited to grant funds available. If the amount of eligible applications exceeds the grant amount available, recipients will receive a pro-rata adjusted amount.

Applications and program rules are available on the HDOA website: https://hawaii.gov/hdoa/adp/2008-aquaculture-grant-program   Questions and inquiries regarding the program may be directed to Todd Low, Manager, Aquaculture Development Program (ADP), (808) 587-0030. 

Completed grant applications must be received by ADP, 1177 Alakea Street, Suite 400, Honolulu, HI 96813 no later than September 18, 2009 at 4:30 p.m.  Applications received after 4:30PM on September 18, 2009 shall not be considered eligible.

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