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USDA Announces $300 Million in Additional Regional Agricultural Promotion Program Grants to Diversify U.S. Agricultural Export MarketsWASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the second round of Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) grants, which is intended to allocate $300 million to [67 partners] once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied, expanding American food and agricultural exports in emerging global markets. This latest investment brings total RAPP funding to $600 million in 2024. 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. “RAPP is a critical tool for helping U.S. producers and agribusinesses stay competitive in today’s global trading environment,” Secretary Vilsack said. “The Biden-Harris approach to trade is delivering results for U.S. agriculture through record exports and improved relationships with current and future trading partners, and this investment supports actions that build on the global demand for American agriculture’s high-quality products.” Under the Biden-Harris administration, U.S. agricultural exports have grown significantly, posting the three highest years in history in 2021, 2022, and 2023 – including a record of nearly $196 billion in 2022 and nearly $175 billion in 2023. USDA and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) have helped to secure over $26.7 billion in agricultural market access since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration. In Fiscal Year 2024, the actions of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service helped preserve $8.8 billion in total U.S. agricultural exports. Since 2022, USDA has issued $9.4 billion in loan payment guarantees to facilitate the diversification of U.S. agricultural export markets. USDA also leveraged $2.3 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds in 2024 to help U.S. agriculture export market development efforts and combat global food insecurity. In addition to RAPP, $100 million was targeted for aid to address the unique challenges for specialty crops producers seeking to enhance market growth opportunities by exporting. Separately, USDA is using $1 billion of the CCC funds to support international food assistance programs and strengthen global food security, which benefits U.S. agricultural producers. Market Diversification and New OpportunitiesThis second round of funding reinforces USDA’s commitment to diversification, with a $25 million set-aside for projects focused on Africa. Proposals for this round exceeded the available funding, with eligible entities submitting more than $1 billion in project requests. The first $300 million in RAPP funds, announced in May 2024, has already helped U.S. producers tap into new overseas opportunities. RAPP builds on the success of the Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP), launched in 2018 to mitigate the risks of overreliance on a few large markets. Applications for the second round of funding opened in August 2024, and USDA received proposals from agricultural trade organizations, state regional trade groups, agricultural cooperatives, and state agencies. These projects will play a critical role in establishing new market opportunities and sustaining existing ones for U.S. producers. Background on RAPPSecretary Vilsack announced in October 2023 that USDA would use $1.2 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation to establish RAPP, with a focus on diversifying international demand for U.S. agricultural exports beyond established markets such as China, Mexico, and Canada, which collectively account for nearly 50 percent of current export sales. RAPP focuses on parts of the world where the middle class is growing and the desire for high-quality food and farm products is on the rise, but where U.S. exporters may not yet have an established presence or firm foothold. Awards are contingent on completion of legal and administrative requirements relating to the grant. For more information on the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program visit the FAS website. USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, and building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices. USDA is making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit USDA.gov. # USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. |
The following GAIN reports were released on December 12, 2024.
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China: Revised Cereals Seed Standard Published
On October 28, 2024, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) published a revised “National Standard for Seed of Food Crops – Part 1: Cereals”, which will come into effect on October 1, 2025. The new standard incorporates quality requirements for genetically engineered (GE) corn varieties with herbicide tolerance and insect resistance and modified quality indicators for hybrid rice seeds and conventional corn, wheat, and sorghum seeds. This report provides an unofficial translation of the revised standard which was previously notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on February 12, 2024 as G/TBT/N/CHN/1817.
Ghana: Ghana Grain and Feed - Update - 2024
Ghana in 2024 has experienced drought-induced crop failures and low yields in eight out of its 16 administrative regions. FAS Accra (Post) consequently is revising up Market Year (MY) 2024/2025 import figures for wheat, corn, and rice due to reports of crop failures in some regions of the country and increased consumption. The Ghanaian government on August 26, 2024, imposed a temporary ban on exports of key grains including corn and rice, in an attempt to ensure national food security. Tax exemption has been listed among the incentives to encourage the Ghanaian private sector to import corn and rice to forestall potential shortages.
Thailand: Rice Price - Weekly
Export prices rose one percent from the previous week. Thai rice exports during January to October 2024 were up 20 percent from the same period last year.
Vietnam: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual
This report provides an overview and updates on agricultural biotechnology in Vietnam. New genetically engineered (GE) corn hybrids have been launched for cultivation after Vietnam resumed its approval of outstanding hybrids. Vietnam approved two new applications of biotech events for food and feed use in November 2024.
For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.
The following GAIN reports were released on December 16, 2024.
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Bulgaria: Bulgarian Oilseed Crops Shrink to Decade-Low Level
In marketing year (MY) 2024/25 Bulgaria harvested its lowest oilseed crop for more than a decade due to extremely hot and dry summer weather conditions impacting yields. The total oilseed crop for sunflower, rapeseed and soybeans is estimated at just over 1.6 million metric tons (MMT), compared to 2.0 MMT the previous year. FAS/Sofia has made further reductions in its estimates based on the final harvest data. The current FAS/Sofia estimate for the rapeseed crop is at 175,000 MT, down by 15 percent from last year. In MY 2023/24, Bulgaria was a net importer of rapeseed with growing trade driven by expanding domestic crush capacities and this trend is projected to strengthen in MY 2024/25 with forecast imports of above 200,000 MT. The sunflower crop is estimated to fall to 1.5 MMT in MY 2024/25, also down by 15 percent from last year, despite higher planted area. These developments have resulted in a deficit of oilseeds, prices creeping upward, a decline in oilseed exports, higher imports, and sluggish crush.
Canada: Temporary Sales Tax Relief for Imports into Canada
Between December 14, 2024, and February 15, 2025, certain goods imported into Canada, including certain foods and beverages, will benefit from a temporary relief on applicable sales taxes. The 5 percent Goods and Services Tax (GST) will not be charged across the country, while in some provinces the applicable Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) will also not be charged.
Chile: Dairy Labeling
New labeling requirements for dairy products that may impact U.S. exports to Chile will come into effect on January 9, 2025.
Hong Kong: Food Service - Hotel Restaurant Institutional Annual
In the first ten months of 2024, U.S. exports of consumer-oriented food and beverages to Hong Kong reached nearly $1 billion, on par with the same period in 2023. Hong Kong restaurant receipts declined slightly to $10.5 billion in the first three quarters of 2024 due to lower consumer discretionary spending. Hong Kong’s economy is expected to grow 2.5 percent in 2024, and some industry contacts are cautiously optimistic that increased visitors, particularly from mainland China, will increase hotel and food service revenues in 2025. This report provides background on Hong Kong’s hotel, restaurant, and institutional food service sector and prospects for U.S. food and beverage products. This report refers to both calendar year 2023 and partial calendar year 2024 data to provide appropriate comparisons and up-to-date market information.
India: Oilseeds and Products Update
FAS New Delhi expects India’s peanut oilseed production to rise by 18 percent in marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 and reach 7.2 million metric tons (MMT) due to higher market prices, an increased planting area of 5.6 million hectares, and the use of high-yielding varieties that produced higher yields. Peanut oil production for MY 2024/2025 is revised higher at 1.35 MMT, considering edible oil demand in the domestic market and supported by higher crushing rates. Peanut meal production is increased to 1.6 MMT due to the demand in the animal feed industry. Soybean oil production is increased to 2.5 MMT due to more "crush-to-oil" availability. Post's forecast for MY 2024/2025 palm oil imports is revised to 8.9 MMT, due to the newly levied import duty on edible oils.
Saudi Arabia: Retail Foods Annual
The ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia bodes well for the retail food sector. In 2023, the Saudi food retail market was estimated at more than $51 billion and projected to increase by more than 5 percent annually in the coming years due to the continued urbanization, growing population, changing shopping habits, expansion of physical store locations , and increasing popularity of online platforms. Saudi consumers prefer U.S. agricultural products, and the United States is well-positioned to gain additional market share over the next several years.
For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.
Applications Open for Research Funding Through the USDA FAS Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab to Assist Fresh Produce Exporters
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service has launched the $10 million Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab as part of the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports initiative. The application period is open for this new funding opportunity, and awards will range from $50,000 to $250,000 for research, scale, and commercialization applications that support U.S. exporters through innovative packaging solutions.
USDA FAS selected Clemson University and the Foundation for Fresh Produce of the International Fresh Produce Association to lead the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab, in partnership with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research to administer this program. The application portal is available here: https://foundationfar.
Packaging requirements in export markets are rapidly evolving. A concern for U.S. producers and shippers of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as other specialty crops, is the need for innovative solutions and technologies that align with these new rules. The Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab aims to fund the development and commercialization of packaging and packaging alternatives for fresh produce that are compliant with emergent packaging regulations. To encompass the need for both basic research and readily implementable solutions, USDA/FAS and the implementing partners will accept applications for three tracks: applied research and development, a technology accelerator, and scale-up or pilot projects.
We welcome applications submitted from December 11, 2024, to February 12, 2025, through the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research’s portal. In addition to funding, awardees will gain access to collaboration and networking opportunities, fresh produce industry and consumer insights, life cycle analysis tools, and legal reviews of emergent packaging regulations. Eligible applicants include companies, institutions of higher education, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and government-affiliated researchers. We welcome applications from international applicants if there is a clearly described collaboration with U.S.-based researchers, packaging companies or exporters of U.S. specialty crops. An informational webinar about this opportunity will occur on January 13, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST.
For more information about the USDA FAS and resources for U.S. exporters of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, pulses, and other specialty crops through the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports initiative, including current and future funding opportunities, visit: https://fas.usda.gov/
The following GAIN reports were released on December 17, 2024.
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Brazil: Grain and Feed Update
Corn prices in Brazil have been rising in recent months, driven by factors such as the increased prices in international markets and the devaluation of the Brazilian Real. As a result, corn production for MY 2024/25 (March 2025 – February 2026) is revised up to 128 MMT. Rice production is also expected to rise in 2024/25 due to the expansion of planted area, led by greater profitability from rice sales and improvements in yield. Meanwhile, Brazil experienced a substantial decline in the domestic wheat supply in 2023 and is not expected to recover this year, particularly due to a significant reduction in production in Paraná. Consequently, Post increased its forecast for wheat imports for MY 2024/25 (October 2024 – September 2025) to 6 MMT.
Bulgaria: Exporter Guide Annual
Bulgaria is a small but growing market for U.S. food and agricultural products. In 2023, total Bulgarian food and agricultural imports were valued at $7.57 billion, down 12 percent from 2022, of which 1.3 percent, or $101.3 million, were sourced from the United States. During the first eight months of 2024, total food and agricultural imports decreased by 2.4 percent compared to the same period in 2023. However, imports of U.S. food and agricultural products grew by 19.4 percent during the same period. U.S. products are increasingly popular in Bulgarian hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, and among food processors. Consumer-oriented products with strong market potential include distilled spirits, food preparations, tree nuts, groundnuts, dried fruit, wine, beef, seafood products, craft beer, bio and organic products, and innovative food processing ingredients.
Chile: Citrus Annual
In marketing year (MY) 2024/25, due to the increase in area planted and assuming regular yields, Post estimates that lemon production will grow by 2.6 percent, reaching 197,000 metric tons (MT). Chilean lemon exports will increase 3.3 percent, totaling 93,000 metric tons. In MY 2024/25, Post estimates orange production will increase by 2.2 percent and total 190,000 metric tons, due to higher orange area planted and assuming regular yields. Orange exports will follow and increase by 3.0 percent totaling 103,000 metric tons. In MY 2024/25, mandarin production will increase by 13.1 percent and total 250,000 metric tons due to higher area planted. Likewise, mandarin exports will reach to 218,000 MT which represents a 14.1 percent increase from MY 2023/24.
Chile: Food Service - Hotel Restaurant Institutional Annual
Chile’s hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) sector rebounded in 2023, with hotel occupancy reaching 51 percent and 9.1 million guests, driven by domestic tourism and normalized activities. Restaurants adapted to rising demand for healthier, sustainable options and embraced digital tools like online ordering and AI. Despite economic challenges, the sector showed resilience, leveraging innovation and an unsaturated market for growth. Travel and tourism contributed $32.5 billion to GDP, with 2024 prospects boosted by rising tourist numbers and international investments.
Colombia: Colombia Releases Low Level Presence Policy
On October 23, 2024, the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) issued a resolution establishing a 3 percent threshold allowance for unapproved genetically engineered (GE) seed events, and a 5 percent threshold for animal feed. These thresholds will minimize the risk of disruptions to trade resulting from unintended low-level presence (LLP) of GE material approved in at least one country but not yet in Colombia.
Dominican Republic: Dominican Republic Proposes Regulation for Front of Pack Nutritional Warning Labeling for Prepackaged Foods
On December 3, 2024, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MISPAS) of the Dominican Republic published a draft regulation for a Front of Pack Nutritional Warning Labeling (EFAN) for prepackaged foods. Modeled after similar systems in Latin America, the EFAN will require labels with warning messages such as "EXCESS" for nutrients like sodium, sugars, and fats, and "CONTAINS" for sweeteners. The regulation outlines specific criteria for determining "excessive" levels of these ingredients and prescribes label sizes based on packaging dimensions. The regulation provides an 18-month implementation period, with an additional 6 months for the use of complementary labels.
Germany: Food Service - Hotel Restaurant Institutional Annual
With more than 84 million of the world’s wealthiest consumers, Germany is the largest market for food and agricultural products in the European Union. The German market offers good opportunities for U.S. exporters of consumer-oriented food and agriculture products, particularly nuts, fish and seafood products, dried fruits, bakery products, and pulses. The HRI sector is one of the sectors of Germany’s economy that was hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the end of COVID-19 restrictions, the sector’s real turnover is still 10.8 percent below what it was in 2019, the last year before the pandemic hit, largely due to higher energy prices as well as rising costs for raw materials and personnel.
Japan: Food Service - Hotel Restaurant Institutional Annual
In 2023, total sales of Japan’s hotel, restaurant, and institutional food service industry (HRI) increased by approximately 16 percent compared to the previous year, reaching $226.2 billion. The surge in international tourists contributed to these increases in all categories within the hotel and restaurant industry. The U.S continues to be well positioned to continue supplying this segment with U.S. agricultural products accounting for nearly one quarter of the food that Japan imports.
Philippines: Food Service - Hotel Restaurant Institutional Annual
Reaching pre-pandemic levels in 2025, FAS Manila sees continued food service sales growth at 12 percent with the expansion of stores and customer queues in restaurants. As more consumers dine out, restaurant chains open new restaurants, cafes, kiosks, and bars, as well as franchise international restaurants in the Philippines. With international tourists surpassing government targets, a strengthened tourism industry with more than five million international visitors in 2023 boosts sales as events resume in hotels and event venues. Since 2021, U.S. consumer-oriented agricultural exports to the Philippines are the largest among Southeast Asia countries, providing opportunities for chicken, pork, and beef cuts, potato products, frozen vegetables, mozzarella, cheddar, Colby, and curd cheese, butter, bakery products, sauces and syrups, seasonings, nuts, non-alcoholic beverages, and wine.
South Africa: Food Service - Hotel Restaurant Institutional Annual
South Africa's hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) industry has mostly recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the sector continues to struggle from inflation, high food prices, and persistent unemployment. All the same, the food service sector in South Africa generated USD 5.5 billion in 2023, a 27 percent rise over the previous year. The industry increasingly recognizes the significant demand for healthier options at all levels. Large companies and chains, both domestic and international, dominate the highly developed South African fast-food market, which is bolstered by established and competitive franchising structures and a robust network of industry associations. Post has identified that the South African HRI offers market potential for a variety of American goods.
Turkiye: Food Service - Hotel Restaurant Institutional Annual
Turkiye’s HRI sector continues to grapple with rising inflation and economic uncertainty, while sales in terms of U.S. dollars have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. The food and beverage sector has seen significant price increases, straining consumer purchasing power. Despite these challenges, the foodservice industry saw consumer spending rise to $18.6 billion in 2023, driven by higher menu prices and record demand from tourists eating out.
United Kingdom: Food Service - Hotel Restaurant Institutional Annual
In 2024, the food-to-go sector in the United Kingdom has emerged as a significant driver of growth within the broader foodservice industry, responding to changing consumer preferences for convenience and quick meal options. Demand for takeaway and on-the-go meals continues to rise as more individuals manage busier schedules. However, rising operational costs, including labor, energy, rent, and ingredient expenses, pose substantial challenges for the hotel restaurant and institutional (HRI) sector. Health remains a crucial trend with technology playing an increasingly vital role in shaping consumer preferences, including driving purchases from online reviews and social media influencers. In 2024, the European Union continues to be a key competitor to the United States in sourcing the HRI sector, with 24 percent of food consumed in the UK sourced from the EU.
For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.
