Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing $2.3 billion to help American producers maintain and develop markets for their commodities and use U.S. commodities to bolster international food aid.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is using Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) money to address trade and food insecurity issues affecting farmers in the United States and around the world. The Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) will help exporters enter new markets and expand their market share in growth areas, and the global hunger relief fund will get $1 billion.
Secretary Vilsack noted that "the Commodity Credit Corporation continues to address the needs of American producers as significant and unpredictable challenges arise," such as the effects of protracted conflict and a changing climate on international commodity markets and global food poverty. In order to ensure that high-quality American agriculture and food products get to where they are needed around the world, it is essential that the Commodity Credit Corporation and the USDA's market development and aid programs receive increased funding.
According to a statement released on Due to rising competition in export markets in Asia and Africa, the United States Department of Agriculture reports that the agricultural trade imbalance is $19 billion in FY23 and is expected to climb to $27.5 billion in FY24. Exporters will be able to enter new markets and expand their presence in existing growth markets with the help of the RAPP. The RAPP will also offer targeted technical assistance to the specialty crop business in order to help them break into and grow within areas that have traditionally presented them with significant non-tariff hurdles.
Increased numbers of people around the world are becoming hungry as a result of recent threats to supply networks and ongoing wars. About 768 million people worldwide are chronically hungry, and 205 million of them need immediate help getting enough food to survive. Since the United States produces more commodities than are consumed, American agriculture is in a good position to help supply these needs. The surplus goods purchased with the $1 billion donation will benefit U.S. farmers and aid in the fight against world hunger.
