More than 60 agricultural organizations including the U.S. Grains Council have been awarded USDA funding through the Foreign Agricultural Service. The groups are receiving a collective $ 172 million in market access program funds to focus on consumer promotion as well as close to $ 25 million for creating, expanding and maintaining long term export markets. Grains Council Chairman and Iowa farmer Julius Schaaf says having the funding approved comes at a good time and gives them certainty.

Schaaf says U.S. export groups, his organization and USDA have been successful recently with improving export market access and development.

The past five years represent the strongest period for U.S. agricultural exports in the history of the United States. Farm exports in fiscal year 2013 reached a record $ 140.9 billion and supported one million jobs in the U.S.