SUSTA To Seek Applicants for Export Promotion Funding
The Southern U.S. Trade Association will begin accepting applications Aug. 1 for funding assistance to help companies promote their food and agriculture products internationally, it said. SUSTA, through the federal Market Access Program, reimburses companies up to 50 percent of their export promotional costs -- such as product advertising in foreign markets, exhibiting at international trade shows and adapting their product labels for foreign laws -- to help them become competitive in global markets. Hundreds of companies that take advantage of this program each year see direct benefits to their bottom line, it said. Last year, companies enrolled in SUSTA's programs exported more than $41 million in American food and agriculture thanks to the funding and assistance.
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To be eligible for the MAP Branded program, companies must be considered small according to U.S. Small Business Administration standards, have yearly sales of at least $100,000 and promote a brand-name product that is of at least 50 percent U.S. agricultural origin. Companies located in the following states can apply for funding: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Companies applying for MAP Branded funds can get started by completing a pre-qualification form on SUSTA's web site, www.susta.org. Additional information is available from these states' Department of Agriculture or from SUSTA at (504) 568-5986.