NCC joined over 100 agriculture organizations in sending two letters requesting full appropriations for the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021.
The House letter, addressed to Representative Sanford Bishop (D, GA-2) and Jeff Fortenberry (R, NE-1), the chairman and ranking members on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies.
The Senate letter was addressed to Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the chairman and ranking members on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies.
Both letters were sent on March 11 and signed by 114 other national and state level, agriculture-related groups.
The MAP and FMD programs, most recently authorized under the 2018 Farm Bill, are nested within a combined program called the Agricultural Trade Promotion and Facilitation Program, which has been funded each year at the maximum authorized appropriation level of $255 million combined. Within that amount, MAP is funded at $200 million and FMD is funded at $34.5 million annually. The letters call for a continuation of this funding level.
“American farmers and the food, fiber, and fuel they produce need continued investment in the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program,” the letter reads. “This past year has highlighted that need as our groups have rushed to recover from tariff escalation and reestablish commercial ties with our most valued overseas customers. We ask that you provide $255 million for Agricultural Trade Promotion and Facilitation and that within this amount, MAP receive at least $200 million and the FMD program receive at least $34.5 million. Working to rebuild our export market share requires every dollar these programs provide.”
