Farm groups, including the American Soybean Association, are supporting legislation introduced in the House to double funding for the MAP and FMD export promotion programs. ASA Chairman Richard Wilkins says the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development program are critical in expanding export markets for agriculture and provide an enormous return on investment for farmers and the economy.

Wilkins says funding for export promotion programs has not been increased for 15 years and so its long overdue.

The Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agriculture Trade and Exports or CREAATE Act calls for phasing in additional annual funding for MAP to $400 million and increasing funding for FMD to $69 million in Fiscal Year 2023.

Other groups like U.S. Wheat Associates are also supporting the measure, President Alan Tracy says the other alternative to this bill is for Congress to increase funding for export programs in the farm bill.

Tracy says farm groups realize increasing funding for any program is difficult in a time of tight budgets, but they have formed a coalition called Ag Exports Count to push Congress to act.