California Trade Groups Get $33.7 Million

Posted by Christina Herrick|November 17, 2009

California trade organizations are receiving more than $33.7 million to support the international promotion of food and agriculture products as part of a USDA program. Funding allocated under the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program will help California trade organizations and companies match industry funds with federal government funds to expand international markets for California products.

“International trade is vital to California agriculture,” said the secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, A.G. Kawamura. “This funding will assist in opening foreign markets, reducing trade barriers and increasing consumer purchases of California grown products around the world.”

California is the largest agricultural producer and exporter in the nation with more than $36.6 billion in agricultural production and $10.9 billion in exports. On average, California farmers export an estimated 28% of the products they produce. Leading export markets for California include: Canada ($2.2 billion); the European Union ($2.1 billion); Japan ($957 million); and China/Hong Kong ($638 million). Top export products in 2007 included: almonds ($ 1.8 billion); dairy and products ($963 million); wine ($815 million); table grapes ($553 million); and cotton ($505 million).

California trade organizations that received USDA program allocations included:
Blue Diamond Growers/Almond Board of California $2,869,947
California Agricultural Export Council $1,120,951
California Asparagus Commission $138,313
California Cherry Advisory Board $701,732
California Cling Peach Advisory Board $163,267
California Fresh Tomato Growers/Florida Tomato Committee $121,743
California Kiwifruit Commission $289,770
California Pear Advisory Board $479,327
California Pistachio Export Council/Cal-Pure Pistachios, Inc. $950,000
California Dried Plum Board $3,499,819
California Strawberry Commission $618,693
California Table Grape Commission $3,648,818
California Tree Fruit Agreement $2,375,233
California Walnut Commission $4,604,059
Raisin Administrative Committee $2,905,258
Sunkist Growers, Inc. $2,137,619
Wine Institute $7,171,958