U.S. Grains Council Celebrates World Trade Month

May is World Trade Month! U.S. Grains Council Chairman Brent Boydston spoke with the National Association of Farm Broadcasting last week to talk about the Council’s role in global trade. Listen to the interview here.

USDA Awards $300 Million to Diversify Export Markets for U.S. Agriculture

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is allocating $300 million to 66 U.S. organizations, under the new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), to build demand for American food and farm exports in high-potential markets around the globe.

Secretary Vilsack launched RAPP in October 2023, authorizing $1.2 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funding to help U.S. exporters expand their customer base beyond traditional and established markets, focusing on regions such as Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and South and Southeast Asia, where consumer demand and purchasing power are growing.

“USDA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration are focused on creating more, new and better markets for U.S. producers and agribusinesses, and exports are a critical part of that effort,” Vilsack said. “By enabling U.S. exporters to expand their footprint in diverse and dynamic new markets, RAPP will help make them more competitive and resilient in an increasingly volatile global trading environment. We know the potential is out there, but it takes time and money to grow new markets. USDA is pleased to be able to provide the start-up capital to help tap into these opportunities, because if we are serious about reversing the decline of small and mid-sized farms, and building wealth that stays in rural communities, it’s crucial that we create and sustain diverse market opportunities abroad as well as at home.”

The initial round of RAPP funding will help recipient organizations carry out hundreds of projects encompassing a wide variety of products and markets. For example:

• The Cranberry Institute plans to conduct trade education seminars and other consumer-focused activities to target export opportunities in India, Brazil, Colombia and Southeast Asia.
• The Southern Forest Products Association is targeting new market opportunities for Southern yellow pine products throughout the Caribbean region through educational seminars and promotional events.
• The Hazelnut Marketing Board will conduct market research and trade missions to facilitate support market development in several African countries.
• The U.S. Dairy Export Council plans to expand its presence in Africa by utilizing RAPP funding to better understand and develop dairy import regulations and regulatory frameworks in many markets.
• The U.S. Meat Export Federation plans to expand its export efforts to new markets in the ASEAN region and throughout Africa, as well as enhance its investment in the convenience store segment in South Korea, Central America and Colombia.
• The Brewers Association will tap into the burgeoning craft beer scene in Southeast Asia, taking part in the region’s premier brewing trade show and festival and also bringing buyers from the region to the top trade shows in the United States.

To view the complete list of organizations that received RAPP funding, please visit the following link: FY 2024 RAPP Funding Allocations.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

U.S. Grains Council To Receive RAPP Funding From USDA

The U.S. Grains Council today received notice of additional funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under its Regional Agriculture Promotion Program (RAPP). The award will disperse $17 million to the Council for use in developing markets that will be crucial to the future of U.S. agriculture exports.

“USDA’s decision to distribute additional investment is a wonderful show of confidence in the Council and its partners to continue blazing a trail in foreign markets on behalf of U.S. agriculture,” said Brent Boydston, USGC chairman. “The future of the Council and its programming has never been brighter and I am certain there will be incredible results for producers, buyers and sellers alike.”

RAPP was launched after a request from the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry to bolster, diversify and expand market opportunities for U.S. agriculture products. This round of funding is the first of five tranches, with the next one coming in 2026.

The majority of the Council’s RAPP funding will be used to enhance its programming in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, where rapid population and economic growth is creating demand for high-quality agriculture products that the U.S. industry will be positioned to meet.

Other portions of the investment will be committed to solidifying U.S. producers’ stances in existing top export markets and to add staff in the Council’s Washington, D.C. headquarters to properly manage and administer the Council’s higher international activity.

“RAPP funding is a game changer for the Council and other cooperators representing U.S. products in international markets and will allow a significant expansion of the great work that Council staff are already doing worldwide,” said Ryan LeGrand, USGC president and CEO. “Thank you to USDA for its constant support of the Council and for recognizing the need to continue improving U.S. export market promotion efforts.”

The Council will discuss more about its RAPP allocation in the opening general session, and many of the A-team meetings, at the upcoming Board of Delegates Meeting scheduled to take place in Salt Lake City.

Thank you to each of the Council’s members for ongoing support as we enter this new chapter of expanded programming and global engagement.

USMEF Statement on Regional Agricultural Promotion Program Funding Allocations

U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom issued the following statement:



USMEF is honored to participate in RAPP and we thank Secretary Vilsack and the staff at USDA for their vision and leadership in implementing this program. The additional investment in foreign market development is very timely and will be especially helpful in expanding demand for U.S. red meat in emerging export markets. USMEF also appreciates the role Congressional leaders played in the development of RAPP. We thank them for their support of this program and for prioritizing Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) funding in the new Farm Bill.

Corn Growers Disappointed in ITC Decision on Herbicide Imports

The U.S. International Trade Commission last week agreed to advance a petition by Corteva Agribusiness to place anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports of the herbicide 2,4-D shipped from China and India.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) said the decision will impact farmers.

“We are disappointed that ITC did not listen to the feedback from farmers about how harmful these tariffs could be to rural America,” said Minnesota farmer and NCGA President Harold Wolle. “Corn prices are already low and input costs have been rising. This decision will only compound our problems.”

Six of the nation’s major commodity groups, including the National Corn Growers Association, sent a letter to the U.S. International Trade Commission in April encouraging it to vote against advancing a petition.

Growers have said the imports covered by this case are the major sources of supply other than Corteva, which is the only U.S. manufacturer, and that America’s farmers cannot rely upon a sole domestic supplier of 2,4-D to meet nearly all the market’s needs.

Duties on 2,4-D imports from the two countries would intensify what is already a difficult period for many growers as key input costs continue to increase.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is projecting record-high farm production cash expenses for 2024. At the same time, crop values are declining. USDA projects total cash receipts for crops in 2024 will be 11.7% lower than 2022.

NCGA intends to continue to engage in this case as it goes to the next stage, including the final phase at the U.S. International Trade Commission early next year.

Thompson Releases Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024

House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15) issued the following statement after releasing text of the 2024 Farm Bill:

"The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 is the product of extensive feedback from stakeholders and all Members of the House, and is responsive to the needs of farm country through the incorporation of hundreds of bipartisan policies. The release of this draft is a significant step forward in a years-long, deliberative process. The markup is one step in a greater House process, that should not be compromised by misleading arguments, false narratives, or edicts from the Senate. I look forward to engaging with colleagues on both sides of the aisle as we move to markup."

Discussion draft text of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 here.

An updated title-by-title summary can be found here.

To view additional details on the 2024 Farm Bill as they become available, visit: agriculture.house.gov/FarmBill

May 2024