Retaliatory tariffs have taken a toll on important international markets for almonds, so in 2018 USDA launched several trade mitigation programs to help farmers caught in the crossroads of the trade war.
In addition to the Market Facilitation Program for growers (the deadline for which was last Friday, Dec. 6), the California almond industry, though the Almond Board, was able to take advantage of another USDA program: the Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) Program. ATP was designed to provide funding to agricultural groups to aid in activities that will stimulate new market development and relieve adverse effects of other countries’ tariff and non-tariff barriers. ATP funding came through a one-time grant specifically for groups that could demonstrate severe damages to their industry from the trade war.
The Almond Board of California (ABC) was one grant recipient of ATP funding and, out of a total request of $7.4 million made by ABC, received $5.44 million, roughly 74% of the request. The total funding available through USDA, over the course of two periods of allocation, was $300 million.
ABC is using these funds in specific countries where advertising activities were recently launched – Italy, Mexico and Germany – and to support continued presence in Indian and Chinese markets, despite the retaliatory tariffs, to sustain consumer awareness of California almonds.
These ATP funds allow ABC to extend growers’ assessment dollars even further in our pursuit to expand global consumption. This one-time grant also added to the ongoing yearly grants ABC applies for that aid in international marketing and promotion activities. In 2019, ABC received nearly $9 million across three grant programs we participated in. ABC is a among many groups that apply for these grants on a yearly basis; however, we’ve maintained a rating of “highly effective,” demonstrating dependable use of tax-payer dollars and a sound strategic approach to our international market development. This confidence from the USDA has positive benefits throughout the almond industry.
ABC will continue to be proactive in seeking out available government funding sources in an effort to continue to grow market demand.
