Title III and the Farm Bill
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. With the September 30 expiration of the current farm bill, many important agriculture programs are on hold, including several trade promotion programs.
American Farm Bureau Federation economist, Betty Resnick says Title III programs, often called trade title, generate outstanding returns for farm bill investments …
RESNICK … “And it accounts for less than half a percentage of overall farm bill spending. Half of that goes to an aid program called Food for Peace, which uses U.S. commodities to do capacity building, and the other half goes to export market development. These export market development programs have major bang for their buck, and a 2022 study found for every dollar spent on these programs, an additional $24.50 of agricultural exports resulted.”
Resnick says one of her favorite things is that Title III programs benefit all of agriculture ...
RESNICK … “Over 70 organizations representing different products were awarded grant funding in 2024. This hugely diverse mix ranges from big commodities like corn and soy to smaller ones like hops, ginseng and cranberries. As cranberries are really only grown in North America, export development dollars are used to educate consumers on how to incorporate them into their diet in culturally-relevant ways and on their many, many benefits.”
Resnick says about 20% of all U.S. ag production is exported overseas and there’s also $2 of domestic economic activity created for every dollar of ag exports.
For more information, go to fb.org/marketintel.
