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Press Releases
August 1, 2011
Export Funding Available for Southern Agricultural Companies
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Starting August 1, the Southern U.S. Trade Association (SUSTA) will accept applications for the 2012 Market Access Program (MAP) Branded. The Branded program is designed to help small agriculture companies enter export markets with 50% reimbursement for promotional costs like advertising, exhibiting at trade shows, and changes to packaging and labels. Hundreds of companies are already tapping into these resources and growing their businesses despite the slow economic recovery.
"Each year, dozens of small businesses tap new export markets that were otherwise unreachable without the funding assistance that we offer," says SUSTA Executive Director Jerry Hingle. Bernadette Wiltz, SUSTA's Deputy Director, adds: "Funding is limited, so we encourage those wanting to take advantage of this program over the coming year to get their applications in early."
When approved, growers, food producers, distributors and manufacturers can use the Branded program to reimburse 50 percent of their international marketing costs. To be eligible for the Branded program, companies must be considered small according to U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) standards, have yearly sales of at least $100,000, and promote a brand-name product that is at least 50% U.S. agricultural origin. MAP Branded is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and administered to southern U.S. companies by SUSTA. Companies located in any of SUSTA's member states can apply for funding: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Companies applying for MAP Branded funds can download the Pre-Qualification Form on the SUSTA website at www.susta.org. For more information, contact your state's Department of Agriculture or the SUSTA office at (504) 568-5986.
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