Ag export organizations got a shot in the arm last month when the first round of Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) awards was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

In total, $300 million was awarded to 66 organizations, including the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), which celebrated the award at its spring conference in Kansas City May 22-24 and heard from Daniel Whitley, administrator of the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), which oversees RAPP funds.

RAPP aims to diversify and ex­­pand market opportunities for U.S. food and...