SFPA Receives $1.24M In RAPP Funding

The Southern Forest Products Assn. (SFPA) has received approval for $1.24 million in funding over five years from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP).

The USDA announced the funding May 21 for the $1.2 billion program launched in 2023 to support market development activities to expand exports, address trade barriers, and showcase American agricultural products in new and diverse markets.

“The RAPP program allows SFPA to complement established promotional efforts that educate trade and consumers about the benefits of southern yellow pine lumber in two important markets: Egypt and the Caribbean,” says SFPA Executive Director Eric Gee. “RAPP’s five-year award will expand efforts to lay a firm foundation of knowledge about SYP in Egypt and provide a long-term strategy of consistency and presence in the Caribbean region, where sustainably grown SYP from the United States is desired for its strength and quality.”

The RAPP program aims to diversify and expand market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products beyond the traditional top customers—Canada, Mexico, the European Union, and China (including Hong Kong and Macau)—which collectively comprise nearly 60% of U.S. agricultural export sales, according to FAS. Instead, RAPP will focus on enhancing U.S. exports to new markets in parts of the world—including South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa—where the middle class is growing and the desire for high-quality food and farm products is increasing.

SFPA has facilitated international trade of SYP lumber for more than 35 years, receiving federal funding to assist in foreign market development. The RAPP funds will bolster SFPA’s international program.

From issuing verified trade leads that come in via a product inquiry to its network of members experienced in lumber exports or through travel to sponsored trade events, SFPA’s international program helps grow exports of SYP lumber. In 2023 alone, those efforts generated 916 shipping containers of SYP lumber requested via SouthernPine.com, and $8 million-plus in new sales from 67 trade leads at sponsored trade shows around the world.