MEDIA RELEASE 059

CONTACT: Henry Fong, District Director

(808) 441-2704

Email: henry.fong@hi.usda.gov

(Honolulu, Hawaii, May 31, 2012) - Hawaii and Pacific Basin Farm Service Agency County Offices recently paid 350 farmers and ranchers a total of nearly $764,000. Payments were made under the fiscal year 2011 Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment (RTCP) Program for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers in Hawaii, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. The program was also made available to agricultural producers in Alaska, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The payments were prorated by a national factor of 66.85% as the dollar amount of the applications calculated to far more than the 2011 Fiscal Year nation-wide appropriation of $1.996 million.

Congress has again approved $1.996 million in funding for the fiscal year 2012 RTCP program. Producers interested in applying for the reimbursement of a portion of the costs to transport agricultural inputs and products are urged to retain their original purchase receipts from October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012. Sign-up for RTCP 2012 begins July 23, 2012 and runs through September 10, 2012. Producers may visit their local FSA county offices for details or go to www.fsa.usda.gov/hi.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).82 (TDD).