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12-20-2024
SUSTA Awarded Over $9 Million in Second Round of RAPP Allocations
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, December 20, 2024 –The U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack yesterday announced the second round of Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) grants. The Southern United States Trade Association will be allocated $9.45 million in the second round of funding, bringing SUSTA's total RAPP grants to nearly $20 million following a $9.38 million RAPP award earlier this year.
The new grants aim to diversify export markets in regions with rising consumer demand and purchasing power, including Africa, Latin America/the Caribbean, and South/Southeast Asia. These regions offer significant opportunities for U.S. producers seeking to establish a stronger foothold in dynamic and growing markets. This latest investment brings total RAPP funding to $600 million in 2024.
SUSTA’s RAPP strategies will help diversify exports to Africa (South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Morocco), Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam), Central America (Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic and Guatemala), Caribbean, South America (Colombia, Peru, Chile and Brazil) and India.
“Market development takes time, and this additional funding allows SUSTA to support Southern exporters in developing markets so that they are competitive in today's global marketplace. We thank the USDA for their commitment to market diversification and for their confidence in SUSTA to administer RAPP programming," said Bernadette Wiltz-Lang, Executive Director, SUSTA.
“Building stronger global partnerships is crucial for our agricultural producers. This additional RAPP funding ensures that Southern exporters can access new markets and expand their global presence,” said Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate. “We appreciate USDA for helping us cultivate these new connections and giving our agricultural community the boost it needs to succeed!”
The USDA, under the direction of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, launched RAPP in October 2023, authorizing $1.2 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funding to help U.S. exporters expand their customer base beyond traditional and established markets, focusing on regions such as Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and South and Southeast Asia, where consumer demand and purchasing power are growing. Today’s announcement is for the first round of RAPP funding.
To view the complete list of organizations that received RAPP funding, please visit the following link: FY 2025 RAPP Funding Allocations.
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The Southern United States Trade Association is a non-profit organization that facilitates trade between small to medium-sized southern U.S. companies and overseas importers. Since 1973, SUSTA has worked with the Departments of Agriculture to increase the export of southern U.S. food and agricultural products and enhance the economic well-being of the region.
