—by Ross Courtney

Pear Bureau Northwest and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council are two fruit-related trade groups identified to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program in fiscal year 2024. (Photo illustration by Ross Courtney/Good Fruit Grower)
Pear Bureau Northwest and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council are two fruit-related trade groups identified to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program in fiscal year 2024. (Photo illustration by Ross Courtney/Good Fruit Grower)

Tree fruit industry groups will receive a share of federal funding to help diversify export markets.

Groups that represent pears, apples, sweet cherries, tart cherries and more all have received a portion of a $300 million allocation from the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program, or RAPP, a U.S. Department of Agriculture funding mechanism to help boost exports. The allocations were announced May 21.

Started in 2023, RAPP replaced the expired Agricultural Trade Promotion Program that was established in 2018 to help commodity groups make up for tariffs levied against American products by countries responding to the Trump administration’s tariffs.

Both programs, as well as the long-running Market Access Program from the Farm Bill, require matching funds.

Here’s a list of fruit-related groups receiving RAPP funding in fiscal year 2024:

—California Cherry Marketing and Research Board, $750,000.

—California Fresh Fruit Association, $1 million.

—Cherry Marketing Institute, $450,000.

—New York Wine and Grape Foundation, $1.3 million.

—Northwest Wine Coalition, $2.4 million.

—Pear Bureau Northwest, $4 million.

—U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, $1.3 million.

—Washington Apple Commission, $7 million.

—Washington State Fruit Commission, $900,000.

—Wine Institute, $13 million.

For a complete list, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture website at: https://fas.usda.gov/programs/regional-agricultural-promotion-program.