A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation that would boost funding for two of USDA’s key export promotion programs–the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development Program (FMDP). U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced the measure.
The bill entitled “Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports (CREAATE) Act,” would bolster the MAP and FMDP by doubling their funding over five years. According to the senators, the program generated a net return of $28.30 for every dollar invested between 1977 and 2014. “The Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program have proven to be effective in expanding foreign markets for American agricultural goods,” said Senator Ernst.
