USDA has allocated $300 million to 66 organizations in the United States - including the Cherry Marketing Institute, the U.S. Grains Council, and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council - to create demand for the export of American food and agricultural products in high-potential markets worldwide.
Through the new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), USDA has authorized $1.2 billion in funding from the Commodity Credit Corp. to help U.S. exporters expand their customer base beyond established markets. The regions targeted are Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia.
Among the beneficiaries are the Cherry Marketing Institute, which will receive $450,000, the USGC, which will receive $17 million in funding, and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, which will receive $1.3 million. The American Soybean Association received the largest amount of funding, totaling $28.5 million.
"These funds will go to over 60 partner organizations that will help create demand for U.S. agricultural and food exports in high-potential markets worldwide," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
"We will fund hundreds of projects, covering a wide and vast variety of products and markets, from creating demand for American meat exports in Africa to promoting American olives in Latin America, to breaking down trade barriers for white coffee in Japan."
Read the full article: Farm Progress
Image: AgMRC
02 Dec 2025
Green Pack Services, a Chilean cherry packing company, has upgraded its lines using advanced Italian tech. Focused on quality, cold chain efficiency, safety and automation, it aims to improve fruit condition and protect Chile’s reputation in international cherry markets.
20 Oct 2023
The problem is the hours of cold. We speak of temperatures below 7° or 8°; and these temperatures do not occur on the Peruvian coast. Today, with the varieties tested, it is not possible to produce cherries in Peru; you get to flowering, but then the fruit does not set.
04 Feb 2026
Argentina’s cherry market faces a double blow: cheap bulk imports from Chile and extreme weather damage in Patagonia. Export volumes plummet, key markets shift, and the CAPCI association calls for urgent measures to protect the Argentinian cherry sector.
04 Feb 2026
A recent study in China highlights the effectiveness of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract in protecting sweet cherries from Penicillium expansum. The treatment reduces decay, enhances the fruit’s defense system and preserves its commercial quality after harvest.
