TAA Business Plan Training Program Huge Success

The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers program provided free technical assistance, business planning consultation and cash incentives to approved commodity farmers and fishermen.

Nathan Kemper, Instructor and Student Recruitment Coordinator for Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, served from 2010-2013 as the TAA Coordinator for the Southern Risk Management Education Center (SRMEC) at the UA Division of Agriculture.

Across two different programs which carried different cash incentive amounts, program: 1) completion, 2) satisfaction, and 3) effectiveness, was rated very highly by participants. The largest commodity group in the program was the shrimp group who participated in both the 2010 and 2011 programs.

Nathan along with three others from the TAA group were selected to present research from the program at an Organized Symposium at the 2014 AAEA meeting.

Program Completion

Completed training and a business plan:
2010 - 99% (3,336 fishermen)
2011 - 94% (1,198 fishermen)

Program Satisfaction

Was the training you received worth the effort?
2010 - 98% said yes
2011 - 93% said yes

Was the cash payment you received worth the effort?
2010 - 99% said yes (received $12,000)
2011 - 83% said yes (received approx. $4,300)

Program Effectiveness Whereas satisfaction decreased with cash payment level in the program (as expected), when self-assessed knowledge gain was measured across both groups there was no statistical difference found between the two cash incentive levels.

Outcomes as a result of completing the business plan:

  • 77% of participants indicated reducing business costs
  • 75% reported their business being better situated to succeed
  • 56% noted their business was now more profitable
  • 73% indicated making changes to their business as a result of the program

For more information read Kemper's research publication, Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers and Fisherman.

To learn more about the TAA program resources visit the program website: http://taaforfarmers.org/