Market Access Program (MAP)

United States Department of Agriculture
Foreign Agricultural Service

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FACT SHEET:
Market Access Program
January 2011

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The Market Access Program (MAP) uses funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to aid in the development, expansion, and maintenance of foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities and products. The MAP is authorized by Section 203 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, and is administered by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

The MAP forms a partnership between non-profit U.S. agricultural trade associations, non-profit U.S. agricultural cooperatives, non-profit state-regional trade groups, small U.S. businesses, and USDA's CCC to share the costs of overseas marketing and promotional activities, such as trade shows, market research, consumer promotions, technical assistance, trade servicing, and seminars to educate overseas customers.

How the program benefits U.S. agriculture: Each year, the MAP helps launch and expand sales of U.S. agricultural, fish, and forest products overseas. American farmers, ranchers, and food processors and manufacturers benefit from the MAP. The MAP benefits all regions of the country through increased exports and rural job expansion.

How the program works: The MAP uses funds from the USDA's CCC to cost share foreign market promotion activities with program participants. The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, enacted into law in June 2008, set funding for the MAP at $200 million annually through fiscal year 2012. Each year, USDA announces an application period for participation in the MAP, publishing an announcement in the Federal Register. Applicants develop MAP proposals and submit them to USDA as part of the Unified Export Strategy (UES) process, which allows applicants to request funding for various USDA foreign market development programs through a single, strategically coordinated proposal.

MAP applications undergo a competitive review process based on criteria specified in the Federal Register announcement. Funds are awarded to applicants that demonstrate effective performance based on a clear, long-term strategic plan. FAS sets a program funding level and signs a program agreement with each participant. Participants must keep an itemized list of expenses incurred during the program year and submit them to FAS for reimbursement. Expenses are subject to audits, and participants are held accountable for maintaining proper documentation.

Agricultural cooperatives and small companies can receive assistance under the brand program. A for-profit firm, other than a cooperative or producer association shall be a small-sized entity that either owns the brand of the agricultural commodity to be promoted or has the exclusive rights to use such brand(s). To conduct branded product promotion activities, individual companies must provide at least 50 percent of funding. MAP regulations limit the promotion of branded products in a single country to no more than five years. For generic promotion activities, trade associations and others must meet a minimum 10-percent match requirement. Participants are required to certify that federal funds used under the program supplement—not replace—private sector funds.

What commodities are covered: USDA has approved MAP proposals to promote a wide variety of U.S. commodities in almost every region of the world. Among those U.S. food and fiber products are apples, asparagus, canned peaches, fruit cocktail, catfish, cherries, citrus, cotton, dairy products, dry beans, eggs, feed grains, frozen potatoes, grapes, honey, hops, kiwifruit, meat, peanuts, pears, pet food, pistachios, poultry meat, prunes, raisins, rice, salmon, soybeans, strawberries, sunflower seeds, surimi, tallow, tomato products, walnuts, watermelons, and wheat.

Where to get information: For more information about the MAP, contact the Office of Trade Programs at (202) 720-4327, or visit the following Web site at http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/map.asp

Information on FAS programs, trade data, and reports are available by accessing the FAS Home Page at: http://www.fas.usda.gov.

Fiscal Year 2010 Market Access Program Allocations

Participant	Total FY 2010 Allocation
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute	$4,631,151
The American Hardwood Export Council, The Engineered Wood Association, The Softwood Export Council, & The Southern Forest & Paper Association	$8,356,971
American Peanut Council	$2,175,613
American Seed Trade Association	$29,701
American Sheep Industry Association	$410,298
American Soybean Association	$5,751,073
Blue Diamond Growers/Almond Board of California	$1,591,718
Brewers Association Inc.	$371,779
California Agricultural Export Council	$859,622
California Asparagus Commission	$141,734
California Cherry Advisory Board	$574,344
California Cling Peach Board	$484,924
California Fresh Tomato Growers/Florida Tomato Committee	$914,485
California Kiwifruit Commission	$302,141
California Pear Advisory Board	$470,612
Cal-Pure Pistachios/Western Pistachio Association	$928,895
California Prune Board	$3,660,254
California Strawberry Commission	$800,092
California Table Grape Commission	$3,580,772
California Tree Fruit Agreement	$2,498,896
California Walnut Commission	$4,622,088
Cherry Marketing Institute	$266,847
Cotton Council International	$20,645,807
Cranberry Marketing Committee	$1,657,476
Distilled Spirits Council	$190,624
Florida Department of Citrus	$5,284,889
Food Export Association of the Midwest USA	$10,691,360
Food Export USA Northeast	$7,902,946
Ginseng Board of Wisconsin	$186,065
Hawaii Papaya Industry Association	$138,654
Hop Growers of America	$190,321
Intertribal Agriculture Council	$825,196
Mohair Council of America	$118,256
National Association of State Department of Agriculture	$3,676,089
National Confectioners Association	$1,420,238
National Hay Association	$36,555
National Potato Promotion Board	$5,231,810
National Renderers Association	$824,664
National Sunflower Association	$1,168,455
National Watermelon Promotion Board	$235,408
New York Wine and Grape Foundation	$361,829
Northwest Wine Promotion Coalition	$941,717
Organic Trade Association	$376,953
Pear Bureau Northwest	$3,496,630
Pet Food Institute	$1,460,439
Raisin Administrative Committee	$3,274,710
Southern United States Trade Association	$6,579,951
Sunkist Growers, Inc.	$4,072,982
Texas Produce Export Association	$105,344
The Catfish Institute	$290,442
The Popcorn Board	$250,738
U.S. Apple Export Council	$885,335
U.S. Dairy Export Council	$4,515,671
U.S. Dry Bean Council	$1,079,781
U.S. Grains Council	$8,232,494
U.S. Hide, Skin & Leather Association	$107,918
U.S. Livestock Genetics Exports, Inc.	$968,886
U.S. Meat Export Federation	$16,495,353
U.S. Wheat Associates	$5,790,604
USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council	$1,008,314
USA Poultry and Egg Export Council	$5,218,646
USA Rice Federation/U.S. Rice Producers Association	$3,834,882
Washington State Fruit Commission	$1,128,068
Washington Apple Commission	$5,381,945
Welch Foods, Inc.	$907,177
Western United States Agricultural Trade Association	$9,674,062
Wine Institute	$7,152,261

Total	$197,441,955

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720‑2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326‑W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington DC 20250‑9410 or call (202) 720‑5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.