The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) in late May announced it has receive $800,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP).
In October, the USDA initiated the $1.2 billion program aimed at developing new export markets for U.S. food and agricultural products, extending beyond the traditional partnerships with Canada, Mexico, the European Union, and China.
“We thank the USDA for recognizing AFIA as the leading authority in the animal feed, feed ingredient, and pet food trade,” said AFIA President and CEO Constance Cullman. “This support will enable us to expand our efforts in developing and expanding export markets for U.S. animal food products. We look forward to leveraging this support to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. animal food in emerging markets and contribute to the broader goal of agricultural export diversification.”
Constance Cullman,
AFIA president and CEO
In 2023, the overall export value for feed, feed ingredients, and pet food stood at $13.4 billion, and the total volume of exports of these products amounted to 19.8 million metric tons, demonstrating the significant role the animal food industry plays in overall U.S. agriculture exports.
RAPP funding. To view a complete list of organizations that received RAPP funding, go to grainjournal.com/RAPP