The Department of Agriculture has awarded $100 million in commodity promotion funding as part of its $16 billion trade mitigation package.
The funding — through USDA’s Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) program — is meant to explore export opportunities for U.S. products and diversify the mix of countries receiving American goods.
“At USDA, we are always looking to expand existing markets or open new ones and this infusion of money will do just that,” Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement. “American farmers are so productive that we need to continue to expand our markets wherever we can to sell the bounty of the American harvest.”
This year’s $100 million is on top of $200 million allocated in January through the $12 billion 2018 trade mitigation package.
Overall, 48 organizations received ATP funding this year, with the American Soybean Association ($12.75 million) and the U.S. Meat Export Federation ($10 million) being the only two organizations to receive more than $10 million.
Rounding out the top five, the U.S. Grains Council received nearly $6.9 million in ATP funds, and Food Export USA Northeast and Midwest — two separate organizations made up of state ag promotion agencies in their respective regions — received $6.8 and $6.65 million, respectively.
Cotton Council International ($6.25 million) and the Wine Institute ($6.2 million) were the only two other organizations to receive more than $6 million in ATP funding.
ATP was part of a three-phased approach announced in May to continue the Trump administration’s efforts to offset damage caused by trade wars with China and other countries. USDA also plans to issue $14.5 billion in direct payments to producers through the Market Facilitation Program and $1.4 billion in surplus commodity purchases through the Food Purchase and Distribution Program.
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