USDA Boosts Promotion Funding $300 Million

The Agriculture Department said yesterday it will make an additional $300 million available through the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program to help grow export markets for US farm and food products around the world.

“Access to international markets supports US farmers at home and food security throughout the world,” said Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small. “USDA launched RAPP last year as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to create more, new and better markets for US producers and agribusinesses, and we’ve seen tremendous interest, culminating in more than a billion dollars in proposals for the first $300 million round of RAPP funding earlier this year.

“Given the importance of exports in supporting farm income and rural economic development, we’re delighted to be able to make an additional $300 million available this year.”

RAPP is aimed at helping US exporters expand their customer base beyond established markets such as China, Mexico and Canada, which collectively account for nearly half of all current export sales.

USDA published a Notice of Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov today and interested organizations must apply by October 4. USDA anticipates that allocations will be announced before the end of the calendar year. As with the first round of RAPP funding, USDA is again setting aside $25 million specifically for activities in Africa, which has the some of the fastest-growing economies – but the lowest levels of US export market investment – of any region in the world.