The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that $110 million will be distributed to 65 U.S. trade organizations to promote U.S. agricultural products overseas under the Market Access Program (MAP). The 2002 Farm Bill provides for $200 million annually by 2006, more than double the funding. This marks the first increase to the program since 1996. All program applicants undergo a competitive review process based on four weighted criteria – the degree to which the applicant contributes resources to the program, historic export performance, projected export goals, and achievement of past export goals. The MAP is one of several USDA programs included under a unified application and review process designed to ensure the most effective and results-oriented utilization of government resources available to the agriculture industry for developing overseas markets for U.S. products.
For fiscal year 2004, the National Renderers Association (NRA) will receive approximately $1.5 million in funding from the various Foreign Agriculture Service programs to promote the exports of rendered products. This is a $56,000 increase over the previous year. The increase is due in great part to the financial contributions of member companies to NRA’s International Market Development Committee along with the hard work of the NRA’s overseas directors.
December 2003 Render