Fibers, Peanuts and Tobacco Analysis Group (FPTAG) staff serves as the Farm Service Agency's (FSA's) primary analytical resource for the formulating, developing, analyzing, and evaluating marketing loan and income support programs for cotton, wool, mohair, peanuts, and tobacco as determined and announced by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).

FPTAG staff produces a broad range of analysis for assessing the effectiveness of USDA commodity programs and policies. To keep the agricultural sector informed and to support USDA administrators and policymakers throughout the Government, FPTAG staff:

Economic and policy analyses of existing commodity programs; assessments of the impact of programs and policy alternatives; forecasts of farm prices, CCC loan activity, outlays for the President's Budget, and administrative and legislative initiatives. These analyses are made possible by staff's development and maintenance of databases on support levels provided to farmers and ranchers and on market supply and demand parameters.

For industry and the public-Press releases are issued weekly and/or on an ad hoc basis announcing updated support payments and quotas (for cotton as required by law), Fact Sheets, and statistical reports.

For USDA Administrators-Information memoranda, decision memoranda, and related economic and policy assessments are produced on current and proposed program provisions. Assessments are made on quality issues related to commodities under loan and their impact on potential forfeitures and movement of commodities into normal marketing channels. These analyses insure that officials are provided with expert economic, marketing, and program advice on fiber-, peanut-, and tobacco-policies, program alternatives, and related issues.

For the Congress and Executive Branch-Information and analyses are made related to program developments on cotton including Step 1, 2, and 3, peanuts, wool, mohair, and tobacco. FPTAG staff assesses proposed and impending regulation changes, and prepares Federal Register Notices, OMB Information Collection Packages, cost-benefit assessments, and Civil Rights Impact Assessments.

For All - Speeches, Representation, and Other Outreach efforts are conducted to promote greater understanding and awareness of fiber, peanut, and tobacco programs. These include staff economists hosting commodity groups at USDA. In addition, staff conducts domestic and international travel to collect and update data and to exchange information with industry and commodity users. Travel is carried out individually by staff and also by accompanying USDA agency administrators to provide commodity and program expertise.