Through the Market Access Program – the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service has helped more than 60 U.S. ag organizations expand commercial export markets for American products. The program provides 171.8-million dollars of funding to organizations to share the costs of overseas marketing and promotional activities that help build these export markets for ag products and commodities. FAS also provides 24.6-million dollars in funding to trade organizations representing U.S. ag producers through the Foreign Market Development program – which focuses on trade servicing and capacity building to create, expand and maintain long-term export markets for ag products. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says USDA is moving quickly to implement trade promotion programs to help open and expand opportunities for farmers, ranchers and small businesses and build on the past five-years of record ag exports. Vilsack says every dollar invested in trade promotion provides 35-dollars in economic benefits. Starting Thursday USDA is accepting applications for 2015 export development program funding. Find more information at www.fas.usda.gov/unified-export-strategy.
Source: NAFB News Service