The U.S. Meat Export Federation, U.S. Dairy Export Council and American Sheep Industry Association are among the 66 U.S. organizations that will split $300 million in Regional Agricultural Promotion Program grants this year from the USDA.

USMEF was awarded $21 million, USDEC was awarded $10 million and ASI was awarded $1.2 million.

Expanding demand

“The additional investment in foreign market development is very timely and will be especially helpful in expanding demand for U.S. red meat in emerging export markets,” Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and CEO, said in a statement.

In Africa, the additional funding will assist with promotional activities for U.S. meat in countries such as South Africa, Angola, Ghana, Senegal and Morocco, said Joe Schuele, USMEF vice president of communications.

“Nigeria also has enormous potential, but we presently only have access for processed meat,” he told Capital Press.

In Southeast Asia, the best prospects for growth are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, he said.

“In the Western Hemisphere, demand for U.S. red meat has expanded greatly in the Dominican Republic and throughout Central America, bolstered by favorable access through the CAFTA-DR agreement,” he said.

“In South America, we see opportunities for further growth in our FTA partner countries Chile, Peru and Colombia. We will need to work through the (highly pathogenic avian influenza)-related impasse restricting beef exports to Colombia, but some U.S. beef remains eligible and Colombia is a tremendous market for U.S. pork,” he said.

Meeting demand

USDEC applauds USDA’s decision to invest heavily in supporting the development of international markets for America’s dairy farmers and processors, Krysta Hardin, USDEC president and CEO, said in a statement.

“We will leverage those dollars to ensure we are shipping to those who need it,” she said.

RAPP introduces new support to expand exports beyond traditional trading partners to other regions. One such region offering opportunity is Africa, she said.

“We have high-quality, high-value dairy products that the world needs. Africa has 54 different countries and is not a singular, homogenous market. This new RAPP funding will enhance our ability to strategically compete and win in targeted, new export markets on that continent,” she said.

Needing demand

The U.S. sheep industry’s export programs have been pivotal since losing the domestic textile industry to lower-cost countries in the late 1990s, Rita Samuelson, ASI deputy director of wool marketing, told Capital Press.

“It’s just critical. It’s not easy to find new markets,” she said.

The U.S. used to export very little wool. Now it exports about 60% of production, she said.

ASI is excited about the new opportunity and grateful for the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service, without which ASI couldn’t have developed markets as it has, she said.

RAPP funding will allow the U.S. to sell more raw wool to India and to South America. It will also allow for more promotion of wool fabric and wool for processing, building brand and digital marketing in Egypt, Turkey, Japan and South Korea, she said.