23 May 2024
California Prune Board welcomes USDA RAPP funding announcement
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has this week announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $300 million to 66 U.S. organisations, under the new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), to build demand for American food and farm exports in high-potential markets around the globe.
In response to the news, Donn Zea, Executive Director of the California Prune Board, said: “The California Prune Board would like to thank the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), USDA and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
“The RAPP program will enable U.S. agriculture to extend its presence across the globe, exploring new markets and cementing share in existing ones as we navigate these challenging times. The California Prune Board welcomes the funding as an opportunity to strengthen its efforts to promote California Prunes in key export markets while continuing to support the future of the industry here at home.
“California Prune growers and packers are proud of the role they play in the U.S., from the land they steward to the communities in which they live and work in, providing employment and making a positive economic and social impact.”
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The California Prune Board was established in 1952 to represent growers and handlers under the authority of the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture. California is the world’s largest producer of prunes with orchards across 14 counties in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. Promoting a lifetime of wellness through the enjoyment of California Prunes, the organisation leads the premium prune category with generations of craftsmanship supported by California’s leading food safety and sustainability standards. California Prunes. Prunes. For life.