The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last week the second round of Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) grants. Some $300 million will go to 67 partners once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. And according to Tyron Spearman, this includes the peanut industry.
Secretary Tom Vilsack announced in October 2023 that USDA would use $1.2 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation to establish RAPP, with a focus on diversifying international demand for U.S. agricultural exports beyond established markets such as China, Mexico, and Canada, which collectively account for nearly 50 percent of current export sales. RAPP focuses on parts of the world where the middle class is growing and the desire for high-quality food and farm products is on the rise, but where U.S. exporters may not yet have an established presence or firm foothold.
Awards are contingent on completion of legal and administrative requirements relating to the grant. For more information on the RAPP visit the FAS website.