House Ag Appropriations Bill Scheduled for Markup Wednesday
House Ag Appropriations Bill Scheduled for Markup Wednesday
The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee is scheduled to mark up the fiscal 2011 Agriculture Appropriations bill on Wednesday, June 30. Given the challenging budget environment in Washington, D.C., this is a key step for the potential appropriation of $200 million (full funding) for Market Access Program (MAP) and at least $34.5 million for Foreign Market Development (FMD) funds – and, if possible, $69 million as proposed by the administration.
As a result, the agriculture community is encouraged to continue efforts to remind members of Congress how tremendously successful (and cost-effective) MAP and FMD have been in helping maintain and expand U.S. agricultural exports, protect and create American jobs, increase farm income, and offset the government-supported advantages afforded our international competitors.
Following are several key facts about the MAP and FMD programs:
- More than 1.2 million Americans have jobs that depend on agriculture exports, thanks in part to MAP and related programs that have helped boost U.S. agricultural exports. (Source USDA)
- Agriculture’s trade surplus was $23 billion in fiscal 2008 and was projected to be about $13 billion in fiscal 2009 (Source USDA). Agriculture is one of the few sectors of the American economy to enjoy a trade surplus, and without it the overall U.S. trade deficit would be even larger.
- MAP is administered on a reimbursable cost-share basis, specifically targeting small businesses, farmer cooperatives and nonprofit trade organizations. While government is an important partner in this effort, industry funds are now estimated to represent almost 60 percent of total annual spending on market development and promotion, up from roughly 45 percent in 1996 and less than 30 percent in 1991, which demonstrates industry commitment to the effort (Source USDA). Without the incentive of MAP funding through this important cost-share program, it is highly unlikely that private funds could be attracted to form a strategic and coordinated U.S. agricultural export promotion effort.
Through its National Export Initiative, the Obama administration has established an aggressive goal of doubling U.S. agricultural exports within the next five years. The Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports, of which USMEF is a member, strongly supports this goal and is working to ensure that members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees understand that full funding of both the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program are essential to making it happen.
USMEF members whose representatives serve on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee are encouraged to contact them in support of full funding of the MAP and FMD programs in the 2011 Agriculture Appropriations Bill (see attached list).
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.
House Ag Appropriations Bill Scheduled for Markup Wednesday
The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee is scheduled to mark up the fiscal 2011 Agriculture Appropriations bill on Wednesday, June 30. Given the challenging budget environment in Washington, D.C., this is a key step for the potential appropriation of $200 million (full funding) for Market Access Program (MAP) and at least $34.5 million for Foreign Market Development (FMD) funds – and, if possible, $69 million as proposed by the administration.
As a result, the agriculture community is encouraged to continue efforts to remind members of Congress how tremendously successful (and cost-effective) MAP and FMD have been in helping maintain and expand U.S. agricultural exports, protect and create American jobs, increase farm income, and offset the government-supported advantages afforded our international competitors.
Following are several key facts about the MAP and FMD programs:
- More than 1.2 million Americans have jobs that depend on agriculture exports, thanks in part to MAP and related programs that have helped boost U.S. agricultural exports. (Source USDA)
- Agriculture’s trade surplus was $23 billion in fiscal 2008 and was projected to be about $13 billion in fiscal 2009 (Source USDA). Agriculture is one of the few sectors of the American economy to enjoy a trade surplus, and without it the overall U.S. trade deficit would be even larger.
- MAP is administered on a reimbursable cost-share basis, specifically targeting small businesses, farmer cooperatives and nonprofit trade organizations. While government is an important partner in this effort, industry funds are now estimated to represent almost 60 percent of total annual spending on market development and promotion, up from roughly 45 percent in 1996 and less than 30 percent in 1991, which demonstrates industry commitment to the effort (Source USDA). Without the incentive of MAP funding through this important cost-share program, it is highly unlikely that private funds could be attracted to form a strategic and coordinated U.S. agricultural export promotion effort.
Through its National Export Initiative, the Obama administration has established an aggressive goal of doubling U.S. agricultural exports within the next five years. The Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports, of which USMEF is a member, strongly supports this goal and is working to ensure that members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees understand that full funding of both the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program are essential to making it happen.
USMEF members whose representatives serve on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee are encouraged to contact them in support of full funding of the MAP and FMD programs in the 2011 Agriculture Appropriations Bill (see attached list).
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.