FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
For more information contact:
Bill Clary
(502) 564-1137

Marketing grants available for food exporters

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer has announced that small Kentucky exporters may apply for marketing grants from the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA).

The Market Access Program’s Branded program (MAP Branded) reimburses growers and food producers up to 50 percent of their international marketing costs. SUSTA is now accepting applications for the 2011 Branded program.

“Resources such as MAP Branded help small exporters grow their businesses, even in these tough economic times,” Commissioner Farmer said. “I encourage all small Kentucky exporters, or any small Kentucky food businesses that are thinking about exporting, to look into applying for these grants.”

Expenses that MAP Branded grants can cover include advertising, trade shows, labeling and freight. To be eligible for the 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 at least 50 percent U.S. agricultural origin.

MAP Branded is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service and administered to southern U.S. companies by SUSTA.

To apply for MAP Branded funds, companies may download the 2011 Pre-Qualification Worksheet on the SUSTA Web site at www.susta.org/services/map_application.html.

SUSTA also is still accepting applications for 2010 Branded funding.

SUSTA provided MAP Branded funding to more than 70 small firms in 2009, and participants reported nearly $95 million in sales as a result of their promotions.

For more information, contact the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s International Marketing Program at (502) 564-4983 or the SUSTA office at (504) 568-5986.