National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Representing the Business Interests of Agriculture

Washington, DC – Today, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) welcomed Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johann’s announcement of more than $22.5 million in Value Added Producer Grants (VAPG), which helps farmer cooperatives and other producer-owned enterprises take advantage of new value-added opportunities in the marketplace.

This year, 19 farmer cooperatives received grants, allowing them to pursue new business ventures that will help their producer members derive more income from the marketplace. These grants also highlight the vital role that these farmer and rancher-owned businesses play promoting economic development in rural America.

"I would like to applaud Secretary Johanns and members of Congress for their continuing support of the VAPG program, which represents an investment in farmer-owned businesses and rural America," said NCFC President Jean-Mari Peltier. "NCFC has long played a lead role in support of this program, from fighting for its inclusion in the 2002 Farm Bill to supporting VAPG funding in the annual appropriations process."

As included as part of the Rural Development title of the 2002 Farm Bill, the value added grants program was authorized with $40 million in mandatory spending; in the past few years, funding has been made subject to the congressional appropriations, and the funding level has been set well below $40 million. NCFC has led a broad based coalition in support of full funding for the program.

"Many of the products developed using VAPG grants show the innovative ways in which farmer cooperatives are pursuing new value added opportunities to both meet the demands of consumers and boost the bottom line of their farmer members," Peltier continued. "Just a few examples of products that have received past funding through this program include fresh-cut packaged fruit that are now sold through the school lunch program; premium quality cotton bath towels made in the United States; and sliced, seasoned and packaged almonds for use as salad toppers."