Overview

The Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development Program (FMD) support the efforts of U.S. producers, exporters, private companies and other organizations like the U.S. Grains Council to develop, maintain and expand U.S. agricultural export opportunities. The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service administers these programs with funds appropriated by Congress.

The U.S. Grains Council leverages market development funds provided through MAP and FMD and combines them with member dollars and non-cash contributions to expand its international reach to every corner of the globe, maintaining established markets and developing new ones for U.S. corn, barley grain sorghum and related products. These collaborative efforts to strengthen and support U.S. grain trade around the world produce a strong, quantifiable return on investment.

MAP and FMD program funding enables the Council to increase world demand for U.S. coarse grains, generating increased profitability for U.S. farmers. In 2010, the Council utilized this collaboration to generate a market development program valued at nearly $29 million.

Success Stories

Sometimes it is best to let the numbers speak for themselves. Below are a collection of success stories from around the working showcasing how the U.S. Grains Council uses MAP and FMD program funding to increase world demand for U.S. corn, grain sorghum and barley and related products. Please check back regularly for new success stories.

• MAP and FMD Funds Grow Mexican DDGS Market Over the past five years, Mexico’s imports of U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) have grown from 360,000 metric tons in 2006 to just over 1.6 million tons in 2010. With the support of Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) funding, the U.S. Grains Council encouraged this upward trend by forming relationships with local end-users in Mexico. Read more...
• Jordan First to Import US DDGS in the Middle East Historically, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) has been an unknown product throughout Jordan and the Middle East. Promotion of DDGS in the Middle East has two significant obstacles. Ethanol has been viewed with suspicion as a possible competitor to Middle Eastern oil and DDGS seen as an offshoot of the forbidden alcohol trade. However, two years of marketing efforts by U.S. grain farmers, bolstered by Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program funds, have raised the positive profile of U.S. DDGS in the region. Read more...
  
• MAP and FMD Funding Boost Council Efforts in South Korea U.S. grain farmer checkoff investments in international market development, combined with USDA Foreign Market Development (FMD) and Market Access Program (MAP) funds, have helped grow U.S. distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS) exports to South Korea by almost 500,000 metric tons. As a result of this promotion, U.S. DDGS has a bright future in this country. Read more...
• Program in Indonesia Generates 1,750% Return on Investment in FY11 U.S. farmer checkoff funds, combined with Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) funds, spent in Indonesia generated a return of 1,750 percent and resulted in more than $52.5 million in new U.S. grain purchases in fiscal year 2011. Read more...
• Spain Quickly Becomes Major Buyer of U.S. Sorghum The U.S. Grains Council combatted Spanish grain-users’ misperceptions about sorghum on a successful educational mission to Spain; since then, Spain became the number two market for U.S. sorghum exports in the 2010/2011 market year. Read more...
  
  
• MAP and FMD Funds Drive DDGS Promotion Worldwide - $1.4 billion in Sales The utilization of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS)—a co-product of U.S. ethanol production used as a feed ingredient for livestock—is gaining popularity in markets around the world. Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) funds support U.S. producers’ and agribusiness efforts in the development, maintenance and expansion of U.S. corn, barley, sorghum and related co-product exports through the U.S. Grains Council. Read more...
• Egypt Expands Imports of DDGS Egyptian purchases of U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) reached 21,879 metric tons in the first quarter of calendar year 2011 – a major increase over the 12,348 tons imported at this time a year ago – and Dr. Hussein Soliman, U.S. Grains Council director in Egypt, believes imports could reach 350,000 metric tons by 2020. Read more...
• Event Generates More Than $166 Million in US Ag Sales Based on written feedback from those in attendance, the Southeast Asia Grain Transportation Conference in Singapore in late April resulted in more than $166 million in U.S. agriculture product sales. Purchases were made by companies in Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and Philippines. Read more...