Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced yesterday that 70 U.S. trade organizations, including multiple United Fresh members, received more than $234 million in FY2009 to help promote American food and agricultural products overseas.

"Agricultural trade is absolutely crucial to the U.S. economy and by providing this funding to U.S. organizations during these difficult economic times will help open new global markets for American food products," the secretary said.

The funding was allocated under the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) Cooperator Program, both administered by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

For a full list of organizations receiving funding, please click here and for more about FAS' market development programs, contact the USDA’s Office of Trade Programs at (202) 720-4327, or click here.