CCC Says Funding Available for Agriculture Emerging Markets Program
The Commodity Credit Corporation said it's accepting proposals by May 28 for its 2014 Emerging Markets Program (EMP), which assists U.S. entities in developing, maintaining, or expanding exports of U.S. agricultural commodities and products by funding activities that improve emerging markets’ food and rural business systems, including reducing potential trade barriers in such markets. All U.S. agricultural commodities, except tobacco, are eligible for consideration. Agricultural products should be comprised of at least 50 percent U.S. origin content by weight to be eligible for funding.
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Funding authority for the program is set to expire at the end of fiscal year 2013, so awards will not be made unless program funding is reauthorized.
Funding Given to Evaluate Food Systems, Transfer Expertise, Etc.
All EMP projects must fall into at least one of the following four categories: (1) assistance to teams consisting primarily of U.S. individuals expert in assessing the food and rural business systems of other countries; (2) assistance to enable individuals from emerging markets to travel to the U.S. to become familiar with U.S. technology and agribusiness and rural enterprise operations; (3) assistance to enable U.S. agricultural producers and other individuals knowledgeable in agricultural and agribusiness matters to travel to emerging markets to assist in transferring their knowledge and expertise to entities in emerging markets; and (4) technical assistance to implement the recommendations, projects, and/or opportunities developed after assessments of food and rural business systems of other countries.
Eligible entities include any U.S. private or government entity (e.g., universities, non-profit trade associations, agricultural cooperatives, state regional trade groups (SRTGs), state departments of agriculture, federal agencies, profit-making entities, and consulting businesses) with a demonstrated role or interest in exports of U.S. agricultural commodities or products may apply to the program. For-profit entities are also eligible but may not use program funds to conduct private business, promote private self-interests, supplement the costs of normal sales activities or promote their own products or services beyond specific uses approved by CCC in a given project.