U.S. DRY BEAN COUNCIL (USDBC) APPLAUDS ANNOUNCEMENT OF RAPP PROGRAM

October 25, 2023

Grand Rapids, MI

USDBC applauds the announcement on Monday, October 23 from the USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Administrator Daniel Whitley, of $2.3 billion in new funding to help American producers maintain and develop markets for their commodities and for the purchases of U.S. commodities for much needed global food assistance. USDBC further acknowledges the work of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry who made this request utilizing funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).

Joe Cramer, Executive Director of the Michigan Bean Commission and head of USDBC’s International Promotion Committee emphasized, “An additional $1.3 billion in funding for export promotion couldn’t come at a better time for U.S. agriculture. For years we have depended on USDA/FAS support to expand our global outreach and achieve competitiveness for U.S. growers and exporters. Our funding levels have remained stagnant while facing inflation, sequestration, higher program participation, and the significant increase in the cost of doing business post pandemic.” Executive Director Rebecca Bratter added, “we carry wish lists year after year of innovative, precise, and well thought out programs that benefit U.S. farmers and the world. Additional funding from the RAPP program, gives us a chance to expand our programs to new corners of the world and new end users, bringing significant benefits to the U.S. agricultural sector and to global buyers and consumers who benefit from increased business returns when they sell high quality U.S. products.”

Dave Weber, a Nebraska based bean exporter and Chair of USDBC’s Food Aid Committee, reacted to the announcement of an additional $1 billion in funding for commodity purchases, “we have beans and we are committed to feeding vulnerable populations around the world, we are ready to work with USDA and USAID to move more of our beans to vulnerable and food insecure people everywhere.”

USDBC looks forward to the formal Notification of Funding Opportunity announcement and expresses deep appreciation for the ongoing gold standard public/private partnership between the U.S. agricultural trade community and USDA.

For more information please contact the US Dry Bean Council at [email protected].

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