California growers get money from Washington to help exports

Seventeen California agricultural organizations are getting more than $33.7 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help promote their products overseas.

Money from the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program will help California trade organizations and companies match industry funds with federal government funds to expand international markets for California products, says the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

“This funding will assist in opening foreign markets, reducing trade barriers and increasing consumer purchases of California grown products around the world,” says CDFA Secretary A.G. Kawamura.

California is the nation’s largest farming state with more than $36.6 billion in agricultural production and $10.9 billion in exports. On average, California farmers export an estimated 28 percent of the products they produce. Leading export markets for California include: Canada ($2.2 billion); the European Union ($2.1 billion); Japan ($957 million); and China/Hong Kong ($638 million).

Top export products in 2007 were: almonds ($ 1.8 billion); dairy and products ($963 million); wine ($815 million); table grapes ($553 million); and cotton ($505 million).

The largest allocation in the latest funding is more than $7.1 million to the Wine Institute. That’s followed by more than $4.6 million for walnuts.

California trade organizations getting USDA program allocations:

• Blue Diamond Growers/Almond Board of California: $2,869,947

• California Agricultural Export Council: $1,120,951

• California Asparagus Commission: $138,313

• California Cherry Advisory Board: $701,732

• California Cling Peach Advisory Board: $163,267

• California Fresh Tomato Growers/Florida Tomato Committee: $121,743

• California Kiwifruit Commission: $289,770

• California Pear Advisory Board: $479,327

• California Pistachio Export Council/Cal-Pure Pistachios Inc.: $950,000

• California Dried Plum Board: $3,499,819

• California Strawberry Commission: $618,693

• California Table Grape Commission: $3,648,818

• California Tree Fruit Agreement: $2,375,233

• California Walnut Commission: $4,604,059

• Raisin Administrative Committee: $2,905,258

• Sunkist Growers Inc.: $2,137,619

• Wine Institute: $7,171,958