VALUE ADDED PRODUCER GRANTS AVAILABLE

Thursday, April 28, 2016

COLUMBIA, MO, - Approximately $44 million in funding is available to help agricultural producers enter into value-added activities for fiscal year 2016. The grants help agricultural producers increase their income by expanding marketing opportunities, creating new products or developing new uses for existing products.

"The Value Added Producer Grant Program enables farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs to develop new products and improve the bottom line for their operations," State Director Janie Dunning said. "From farm-to-table, we are always proud to assist producers in expanding their businesses."

The maximum grant award is $250,000 for working capital and $75,000 for planning. Planning grants can be used to facilitate economic planning activities to determine the viability of a value-added venture, and may include costs for an independent feasibility study and development of a marketing and business plan. Working capital grants are used for operational costs directly related to processing and/or marketing of the value-added product

USDA Rural Development has provided funding for a wide variety of value-added agriculture projects involving locally produced and marketed foods. These include cheese, wine, reduced-cholesterol dairy products, produce, packaged poultry, pork and beef products, and a variety of processed or prepared foods from locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Applications must be submitted to USDA Rural Development by July 1, 2016 in order to be considered for funding.

For more information on the Value Added Producer Grant program, please contact the USDA Rural Development State Office at (573) 876-9321 or email nathan.tutt@mo.usda.gov.

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