10.26.23

New Trade Investments to Help WA Farmers Sell More Products Worldwide

Cantwell announces $1.3 billion USDA investment in promoting U.S. agricultural products internationally

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $1.3 billion to help farmers in the State of Washington and around the country sell more of their products worldwide. 

“Our apple growers are having a great season. We started business again with the Indian export market of 1.4 billion people, this year’s apple harvest is up 28%, and now the USDA is announcing a new $1.3 billion trade program that will help all growers in the State of Washington break into new markets and grow customers in existing markets,” said Sen. Cantwell. “As the USDA launches this program, I will be working with all of our growers to ensure our $8 billion agricultural export economy receives the support needed to get Washington’s world-class products to consumers around the world.”

The USDA announced that it will be using funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation to create a new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program that will be designed to help agricultural exporters break into new markets and increase market share in emerging markets.

USDA also announced that this new program will include targeted support for specialty crop growers to help ease access to international markets. Washington state grows more than 250 specialty crops commercially and ranks number one in production in the nation for 10 of them, including apples, red raspberries, sweet cherries, pears, potatoes, and hops.  This new targeted technical assistance for specialty crops can help growers overcome non-tariff barriers on their products that hinder access to foreign markets.

This announcement comes on the heels of Sen. Cantwell spearheading an effort to get India to remove burdensome tariffs on U.S. apples, chickpeas, and lentils. The tariffs were finally removed in September. The new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program and the targeted investment in promoting specialty crops in international markets will assist Washington state apple growers -- they are reporting a 28.8% increase in boxes packed this season compared to last year and are working to gain new customers in India.

Sen. Cantwell has long been a supporter of specialty crop growers. She fought to make the 2008 Farm Bill the first to meaningfully address the needs of the specialty crop industry through boosting funding for the Specialty Crop Grant Program, marketing assistance, research, and pest and disease mitigation among other programs.

In the 2014 Farm Bill, Sen. Cantwell secured a first time long-term investment in the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, representing a more than 50% increase from levels in the 2008 Farm Bill.

In the 2018 Farm Bill, Sen. Cantwell secured $2.4 billion in permanent investments in specialty crop research, pest management, and promotion of fruits and vegetables.

In May, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to help U.S. potato growers get approval to sell fresh potatoes in Japan. The U.S. potato industry estimates that access to the Japanese market for fresh potatoes will result in an additional $150 million per year in exports.

In June, Sen. Cantwell hosted Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in the state and the pair held a forum with 30 Washington state agricultural leaders in Wenatchee to discuss the upcoming reauthorization of the Farm Bill.

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