The Department of Agriculture has provided $200M in packages to 57 organizations to support farmers and ranchers securing export opportunities under an agricultural initiative. The Agricultural Trade Promotion program seeks to mitigate potential trading concerns for U.S. exporters and farmers, USDA said Thursday.
“This infusion will help us develop other markets and move us away from being dependent on one large customer for our agricultural products,” said Sonny Perdue, secretary of USDA.
The packages also include a food distribution service and a Market Facilitation Program that allows farmers to receive payments addressing tariff regulations. Members and organizations from different agricultural sectors are also eligible to participate in the program. President Trump approved U.S. agriculture programs worth $12B in value under a trade mitigation package in 2018.