The United States Department of Agriculture USDA.org) announces $1.3 billion in new funding for the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP). NARA applauds USDA’s decision to prioritize export market development assistance and is grateful to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and Ranking Member John Boozman for requesting this funding.
This funding helps NARA’s international staff and contractors around the world fund important market access and trade promotion activities in their regions that assist the U.S. government and industry’s commitments toward sustainable development goals.
Of the announcement, NARA’s President and CEO, Kent Swisher, said "NARA welcomes the creation and infusion of funds into the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP). The 2018 Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) program was critical in finding new markets and expanding existing rendered product markets. In fact, exports of rendered products have increased over 65 percent since the inception of the ATP, demonstrating how beneficial export promotion programs are for our industry. Sustaining these markets requires long-term investments and efforts and, with work funded through ATP ending mid-2024, there is no better time than now to invest in trade promotion activities.”
NARA continues to advocate for permanent, long-term investments to promote U.S. rendered products overseas. NARA joins other members of the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports in calling for increased funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program in the upcoming farm bill. These programs have not seen increases since 2006 and 2002, respectively. The Expanding Agricultural Exports Act (S. 176) and the Agriculture Export Promotion Act (H.R. 648) introduced would double program funding for these critical programs and, together with RAPP investments, ensure the U.S. remains competitive in a dynamic global marketplace.
