Boxer And Durbin Introduce Legislation To Help Expand Foreign Market For US Agricultural Products

Press Release

U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) yesterday introduced legislation to help maintain and expand the market for US agricultural products outside of the country by increasing the authorization levels of the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program (FMD).

Boxer said, "Increasing the authorization for MAP and FMD is critical to maintaining and growing export markets for US agricultural products. I hope the Senate Agriculture Committee will recognize the positive impact these programs have had on our nation's economy by increasing their authorizations in the upcoming Farm Bill."

Durbin said, "The Market Access Program helps our farmers compete overseas, reduces the need to subsidize agriculture, and supports jobs and economic activity here at home. I'm glad to join Senator Boxer as a cosponsor of legislation to increase funding levels for the Market Access Program."

The bill would amend the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to reauthorize MAP and the FMD Cooperator Program, increasing the authorization for MAP from $200 million per year to $325 million per year, and the authorization for FMD from $34.5 million per year to $50 million per year for FY 2008 through FY 2012.

MAP and FMD provide matching funds and build cost-share partnerships between non-profit U.S. agricultural trade associations, farmer cooperatives, non-profit state-regional trade groups, small businesses and USDA to share the costs of overseas marketing and promotional activities such as consumer promotions, market research, technical assistance, and trade servicing.

These programs help open new markets for farmers throughout the nation, including specialty crop growers and commodity producers.

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