Jun 28, 2024

Vegetable groups receive USDA market promotion funds

Watermelons, potatoes and sweet potatoes are among the commodities receiving federal funds for promotion and market development funding.

The funding is part of $300 million allocated to 66 U.S. organizations under the USDA’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), designed to build demand for American food and farm exports in high-potential markets worldwide.

Vegetable concerns include:

• National Potato Promotion Board, $6.5 million
• National Watermelon Promotion Board, $300,000
• American Sweet Potato Marketing Institute, $330,000
• California Agricultural Export Council, $1 million
• Organic Trade Association, $2.5 million

The full list of recipients is here.

Potatoes USA (National Potato Promotion Board) received federal funding to pursue expanded export opportunities for U.S. potatoes as well as other activities to support diversified marketing development opportunities.

After the program was announced last October, Potatoes USA representatives met with potato industry leaders and global partners to apply for a variety of activities to bolster market development opportunities, according to a news release. Last month, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the $6.5 million allocation in RAPP’s initial funding round to the organization.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack authorized $1.2 billion in Commodity Credit Corp. funding in launching RAPP to help U.S. exporters expand their customer base beyond established markets, focusing on regions including Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia.