USDA has allocated $234.5 million dollars to 70 U.S. trade organizations to help promote American food and agricultural products overseas. The funding was allocated under the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program, both administered by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service.
In making the announcement Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said that when you consider the current global financial crisis, increasing production in key competitor countries and aggressive use of export promotion tools by our competitors, USDA's market development programs are more important than ever.
The funds will support the costs of overseas market development and promotional activities with U.S. nonprofit agricultural trade organizations, state regional trade groups, and cooperatives. Additional program activities will focus on reducing market impediments, improving the processing capabilities of importers, modifying restrictive regulatory codes and standards in foreign markets, and identifying new markets or uses for U.S. products.
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