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For Immediate Release – July 1, 2003
Contact- Harold Alford (785) 271-2701
USDA Rural Development Hosts
Value-Added Workshop In Hays
Hays, KS. – USDA Rural Development hosted a workshop covering the Agency’s Value-Added Producer Grant Program today in Hays. The workshop was held to provide information to agricultural producers and producer groups to assist them in developing successful applications for the Value-Added Producer Grant Program which will be available later in this calendar year.
“USDA Rural Development is committed to assist production agriculture in becoming more profitable through value-added business ventures. The Value-Added Producer Grant Program can provide the opportunities for greater economic returns for Kansas farmers and livestock producers and stimulate the creation of new jobs, along with enhancing rural economic prosperity and quality of life”, stated USDA Rural Development State Director Chuck Banks.
In Fiscal Year 2002, USDA Rural Development awarded $37.2 million in nationally competitive grants. Proposals were received from eligible independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer or rancher cooperatives, and majority controlled producer based business ventures. Eight Kansas applicants received $2.5 million in grants, ranking the State third nationally.
The Hays workshop was conducted in partnership with the KSU Cooperative Development Center and the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Ag Marketing Division. For additional information regarding the USDA Rural Development programs, including the Value-Added Producer Grant Program, contact the Agency at 785-271-2700 or log onto the state's Rural Development website at: www.rurdev.usda.gov/ks.
USDA Rural Development's mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. Rural Development provides equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure.
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