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Assisting Specialty Crop Exports Initiative expected to address challenges

The USDA has announced $65 million is available to help the specialty crop sector increase and expand export markets.

Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor says the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports Initiative will be funded by the agency’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) announced last October. “The specialty crop sector we’re excited is absolutely able to tap into these funds, but because we know there are some new unique challenges to exporting specialty crops into markets, we also carved out $100 million targeted to the specialty crop sector.”

Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow tells Brownfield producers will have a voice in where the rest of the funds are to be directed to break through export barriers. “We have to be able to sell both around the world and as well as local,” she says.

She says a bipartisan request by her committee helped secure $1.3 billion of Commodity Corporation Funds for the RAPP program to help break into new markets and provide technical assistance for exporters.

The announcement was made as part of ongoing USDA specialty crop roundtables in Grant, Michigan Monday meant to better support challenges in the sector.