Three programmes award funding to help US farmers and producers overcome trade barriers and expand into new markets
The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has announced more than US$8.4mn in funding through three programmes.
These are the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) programme, the Emerging Markets Program (EMP) and the Quality Samples Program (QSP).
According to the USDA, the programmes help deliver ”measurable results” for American farmers, ranchers and producers by reducing technical trade barriers, opening new markets, and meeting a ”growing international demand” for high-quality US agricultural products.
“These programmes drive growth for US agricultural exports, giving American farmers and ranchers the tools they need to break through unnecessary trade barriers and explore new markets,” said under secretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs Luke Lindberg.
“They’re also a critical part of the Trump administration’s efforts to end the Biden-era agricultural trade deficit and bring prosperity back to rural America.”
The USDA will award US$3.5mn through TASC to nine US recipients to address sanitary, phytosanitary, or technical barriers that limit or threaten the export of US specialty crops.
Projects include pre-clearance programmes, workshops, field visits, study tours, and pest and disease research.
Some US$3.8mn will be awarded through EMP to 16 US recipients working to expand access to emerging markets and advance market development.
This funding supports market assessments, subsistence travel and technical assistance to promote long-term export growth.
Finally, US$1.1mn is awarded through QSP to eight US recipients to provide samples of the country’s agricultural products to potential overseas buyers.
Buyers can then test these samples to confirm their quality and performance, potentially leading to increased commercial demand for US goods.
