WASHINGTON, DC, US — The US Grains Council (USGC) on May 21 received notice of an additional $17 million in funding from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) under its Regional Agriculture Promotion Program (RAPP). The USGC said it will use the funding to develop markets that will be crucial to the future of US agriculture exports.

 “USDA’s decision to distribute additional investment is a wonderful show of confidence in the Council and its partners to continue blazing a trail in foreign markets on behalf of US agriculture,” said Brent Boydston, chairman of the USGC. “The future of the Council and its programming has never been brighter, and I am certain there will be incredible results for producers, buyers and sellers alike.”

RAPP was launched after a request from the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry to bolster, diversify and expand market opportunities for US agriculture products. This round of funding is the first of five tranches, with the next one coming in 2026.

The USGC said most of the RAPP funding will be used to enhance its programming in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, where rapid population and economic growth is creating demand for high-quality agriculture products that the US industry will be positioned to meet.

Other portions of the investment will be committed to solidifying US producers’ stances in existing top export markets and to add staff in the Council’s Washington, DC, headquarters to properly manage and administer the Council’s higher international activity, the USGC said.

 “RAPP funding is a game changer for the Council and other cooperators representing US products in international markets and will allow a significant expansion of the great work that Council staff are already doing worldwide,” said Ryan LeGrand, president and chief executive officer of the USGC.