The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has recently awarded more than 60 U.S. agricultural organizations with fiscal year 2022 funding to help grow commercial export markets.

FAS will provide $175.6 million through the Market Access Program (MAP) to 67 nonprofit organizations and cooperatives. MAP aids in promotion for brands owned by small companies and cooperatives which specialize in “fruits, vegetables, nuts, processed products, and bulk and intermediate commodities,” a USDA press release said. 

An additional $26.8 million was awarded to 21 trade organizations through the Foreign Market Development Program (FMD), which helps companies via trade capacity building and trade servicing, the release said.

“The Market Access and Foreign Market Development programs benefit producers throughout the United States, building markets for a wide variety of U.S. farm and food products around the globe,” FAS Administrator Daniel Whitley said in the release. 

Agricultural exports account for 20% of U.S. production, growing from $56 billion in 2000 to $150 billion in 2020, the release said. A 2016 study found that funds invested by MAP and FMD returned $28 in export gains on the dollar.

“These programs play a significant role in supporting the U.S. agricultural industry that achieved record exports in 2021 and is projected to do even better in 2022,” Whitley said in the release. “Increased exports are critical to expand farm incomes, improve the economic health of rural communities, and ensure nutrition security here at home and overseas.”