The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) today announced that it is accepting applications for fiscal year 2017 funding for five export market development programs. Applications for the Market Access Program, Foreign Market Development Program, Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program, Quality Samples Program and Emerging Markets Program will be accepted until 5 p.m. EDT on June 3, 2016.
“With the support of these FAS market development programs, U.S. agricultural exports have climbed more than 35 percent since 2009, totaling a record $919.6 billion over the past seven years,” said FAS Administrator Phil Karsting. “Those exports support more than one million high-quality, good-paying U.S. jobs.”
Under the Market Access Program, USDA provides competitive, cost-share assistance to U.S. exporters and trade organizations for international marketing and promotion of U.S. commodities and products. Under the Foreign Market Development Program, USDA partners with nonprofit agricultural trade associations to build longer-term international demand for U.S. commodities. The Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program funds projects that address sanitary, phytosanitary, and technical barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S. specialty crops. The Quality Samples Program helps agricultural trade organizations provide small samples of their products to potential importers. The Emerging Markets Program supports technical assistance activities for the promotion of U.S. farm products in emerging markets.
Source:usda.gov