FEDERAL
AGENCY:
RURAL
BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTURE
AUTHORIZATION:
Cooperative
Marketing Act of 1926, 7 U.S.C. 451- 457; Agricultural Marketing
Act of 1946, 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.
To
develop and administer research, technical assistance, statistical,
and educational programs on financial, organization, management,
legal, social, and economic aspects of farmer cooperatives.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Advisory Services and Counseling.
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Dissemination of Technical Information.
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USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Provides
technical assistance, research, and advisory services to farmer
cooperatives and to groups of farmers interested in forming cooperatives.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: Farmer cooperatives and groups
of farmers interested in forming cooperatives (including those located
in the U.S. Territories.)
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Farmer cooperatives and groups
of farmers interested in forming cooperatives (including those
located in the U.S. Territories.)
Credentials/Documentation:
Requests for technical assistance by a cooperative should come
from the cooperative board of directors. Requests for assistance
in forming a co-op should be made in writing on behalf of producers
interested in forming a cooperative.
APPLICATION
AND AWARD PROCESS:
Pre-application
Coordination: None. This program is excluded
from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application
Procedure: Letter to the Deputy Administrator,
Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) for Cooperative Programs
office listed below.
Award
Procedure: RBS responds to each request.
Deadlines:
None.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: Requests are
usually acted upon within 5 to 10 days.
Appeals:
Not applicable.
Renewals:
Not applicable.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: Not applicable.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Technical
assistance projects range from a single work-day to one-half a
work-year.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
None.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised,
June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit
Organizations," non federal entities that expend financial assistance
of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a
program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities
that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt
from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted
in Circular No. A-133.
Records:
None.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 12-1903-0-1-452.
Obligations:
Funding for the activities of the former ACS was merged with the
Rural Business - Cooperative Service, and therefore funding for
fiscal year FY 2001 cannot be specifically identified and compared
with prior years.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance: Not applicable.
PROGRAM
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
In fiscal year 2001, Cooperative Services provided research, technical
assistance, and educational materials to many rural cooperatives
and to groups interested in organizing cooperatives. Agency staff
participated in 40 formal technical assistance projects involving
50 cooperatives and producer groups in 24 States.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
List of publications- periodicals (annual listing of publications
issued by RBS), no charge. Fees are assessed for certain publications.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters
Office: Deputy Administrator, Rural Business-
Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Box 3250,
Washington, DC 20250-3250. Telephone: (202) 720-8460. FTS is not
available. Contact: Dr. James E. Haskell.
Web
Site Address: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Cooperative Education Resource Guide and Directory developed to
list courses, training programs, printed materials, audiovisual
materials, and other teaching aids for use by trainers and educators
for teaching about farmer cooperatives. Cooperative education development
of a Farmer Cooperative Educational Expert System for use on PC
computers to teach a broad range of topics about farmer cooperatives
to public and private groups, universities, and individuals.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Not applicable.
