US to boost foreign food and agriculture market access

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has provided US$8.2 million in funding to promote overseas market access for US food and agriculture under its Emerging Markets Programme.

The money was provided by the Central Fund of the USDA's Emerging Markets Programme (EMP) and is given to 91 agricultural trade promotion projects.

The EMP, administered by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), assists private and public organisations in improving market opportunities for US agricultural products in low- to middle-income countries with market potential.

Programme funding can be used for technical assistance, such as activities that focus on building trade capacity, or addressing technical barriers to trade. This year's funding recipients included universities, state and federal agencies, trade groups, and non-profit organisations.

The projects will be conducted in Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The USDA also funded 32 projects totalling US$831,474 in fiscal year 2009, under the EMP's Technical Issues Resolution Fund (TIRF). TIRF activities address technical barriers to trade in emerging markets by providing technical assistance, training, and an exchange of expertise.