Value-added producer grants available for farmers
HILO, Hawaii—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development is now accepting applications for the Value-Added Producer Grant program. Nationally, there is approximately $37 million available.
The VAPG program helps agricultural producers enter value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products. The goal of this program is the generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income.
The program requires a 50% match and offers up to $75,000 for planning grants and up to $250,000 for working capital grants. Examples of planning activities include conducting feasibility studies and developing business plans for processing and marketing the proposed value-added product. Examples of working capital expenses are processing costs, marketing and advertising expenses, and some inventory and salary expenses.
Complete program details including application toolkits, forms, and relevant links are available online at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/value-added-producer-grants.
Paper application must be received by March 10, 2020, and electronic application must be submitted via grants.gov by March 5, 2020.
For more information on the VAPG program, contact Business Programs specialist Anthony Barcinas at (671) 300-8567 or email him at anthony.barcinas@usda.gov. (PR)