Funding made available from the 2014 Farm Act has allowed the USDA to establish programs to assist in the growth of commercial export markets. The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) recently granted funding to more than 60 U.S. agricultural organizations to help facilitate this effort.In April 2014, Tom Vilsack, Agriculture Secretary, reported that, “Now that Congress has passed the Farm Bill, USDA is moving quickly to implement our trade promotion programs to help open and expand opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and small businesses and build on the past five years of record agricultural exports. These programs are an important investment in rural America. Every dollar we invest in trade promotion provides $35 in economic benefits.”
FAS provides funding and assistance through its Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program by cost sharing overseas marketing and promotional activities with trade associations and helping to develop and maintain long-term export opportunities for U.S. agricultural products.