U.S. Rep. Joseph Courtney met with state officials and shellfish farmers in Noank Thursday to promote legislation that would allow shellfish growers to apply for grants to market their products.
A law passed in 2004 provides grants to help market specialty crops, but excludes shellfish farmers.
The proposed legislation, called the Shellfish Marketing Assistance Fairness Act, would add the farmers to the list so they can compete with growers of other crops such as vegetables, fruits and nursery plants.
“This bill will help us tremendously,” said Karen Rivara, secretary of the Noank Aquaculture Cooperative, which has ten members who raise mostly oysters. “It’s hard for us to have the money to market our product.”
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