Department of Agriculture: Value Added Producer Grants

by: Michael Saunders

The United States Department of Agriculture is federal executive department that is primarily responsible for the development and execution of the US federal government policies regarding food, farming and agriculture.

The work of the Department of Agriculture revolves around the idea of attending to the needs of farmers and ranchers, as well as the promotion of agricultural trade and production while simultaneously assuring food safety, protecting natural resources in the country and the rest of world.

In line with its agency objectives, the Department of Agriculture has recently established the Value-Added Producer Grants program, otherwise known as VAPG.

The Value-Added Producer Grants program is geared towards helping the Independent Producers of Agricultural Commodities, Agriculture Producer Groups, Farmer and Rancher Cooperatives, and Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business Ventures in developing techniques that would create marketing opportunities and establish business plans involving viable marketing opportunities that involve the production of bio-based products from agricultural commodities.

  (continued...)

Department of Agriculture: Value Added Producer Grants
  Page 2

About The Author Michael Saunders is an editor of TopGovernmentGrants.com one the the most comprehensive Websites offering information on government grants and federal government programs. He also maintains Websites providing resources on environmental grants and grants for youth programs.

Additional Resources

category - Minority Grants

Secondary Market Lending Authority Program
The Small Business Administration has constituted the Secondary Market Lending Authority program, one which aims to provide liquidity for the secondary market, thereby ultimately encouraging new lending opportunities from banks of Small Business Administration guaranteed loans.

---

Developing and Strengthening Services and Systems that Support Family Cohesion and Respond to the Separation of Children in Democratic Republic of Congo
USAID-DRC has established a program entitled Developing and Strengthening Services and Systems that Support Family Cohesion and Respond to the Separation of Children in Democratic Republic of Congo.

---

Small Business Administration's Recovery Capital Loans
The Recovery Capital Loans Program provides financial assistance to small business with less than 500 employees to obtain a deferred payment loan from the agency, in order to meet existing debt payments, thereby giving the business the opportunity to refocus their business strategy.

---

Ethical Schools Project in Peru
The Ethical Schools Project revolves around the notion of promoting a culture of ethical behavior and civic responsibility among members of the youth, as well as teachers and parents. The project also aims to explore ways that would contribute to a reduction in corruption and other forms of illicit activities such as cocoa cultivation and illegal environmental degradation, which are both common practices in Peru.

---