USDA Programs Add Millions to U.S. Exports

An independent study by IHS Global Insight Inc. found that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) international market development programs have had a positive and significant impact on U.S. agricultural trade, USDA announced this week. The study, A Cost-Benefit Analysis of USDA's International Market Development Programs, evaluated the effects of the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development Program (FMD) administered by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service.

The report updates a larger study conducted in 2006 and focuses on the period from 2002 through 2009. By 2009, the report concludes, the enhancement in market development spending since 2002 increased the U.S. export market share by 1.3 percentage points and the annual value of U.S. agricultural exports by $6.1 billion.

"USDA is working aggressively to increase exports per the President's National Export Initiative, not only because of the increased opportunities for farmers and ranchers but also because of the impact on the job market here in the United States - each $1 billion in exports supports 8,000-9,000 jobs at home," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The complete report is available at www.wheatworld.org/wp-content/uploads/trade-global-insight-map-report-march2010-20100423.pdf.