Bioenergy, dairy producers among
recipients of $14.6 million in VAPGs
griculture Secretary Mike
Johanns has announced
the selection of 171 applications
from 42 states to
receive over $14.6 million
under USDA Rural Development’s
Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG)
program. “These grants will create jobs
and improve financial returns for growers
and farm families across rural
America,” said Johanns. “These funds
assist agricultural producers in marketing
their products and enhance opportunities
for the development of alternative
fuels from renewable energy
sources, part of President Bush’s comprehensive
national energy policy.”
Since 2001, the Bush Administration
has committed over $115 million to support
value-added agricultural investments,
including more than 110 energy
related projects. Value-Added Producer
Grants may be used for planning activities,
such as feasibility studies or business
plans, or to provide working capital for
marketing value-added agricultural products
and for farm-based renewable energy
projects.
Eligible applicants are independent
producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives,
agricultural producer groups, and
majority-controlled producer-based business
ventures. Value-added products are
created when a producer takes an agricultural
commodity, like milk or vegetables,
and processes or prepares it in a
way that increases value to consumers.
For example, in Nebraska, an on-farm
dairy processing plant that manufactures
a Hispanic line of cheeses will receive
funding to prepare a marketing plan and
design promotional materials and bilingual
labels.
A Mississippi cooperative will
receive a grant to process and market
frozen, processed blueberries. The
Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board
will receive a grant to determine the
viability of marketing biodiesel made
by a producer-owned soybean processing
plant. Businesses and producers
in California, Delaware, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi,
Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon,
Washington and Wisconsin will
receive grants to assess the feasibility
of marketing ethanol and biodiesel,
or other types of renewable energy.
A total of 32 energy-related grants
were awarded this year. A complete
list of the grants is available on
the USDA Web site at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/.
