The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is accepting applications from potential partners and collaborators for the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP).
According to Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, partners and collaborators may be private or public, for-profit or nonprofit entities. FSMIP is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and provides matching funds on a competitive basis to state departments of agriculture, state colleges and universities, and other appropriate state agencies.
The purpose of the program is to assist in exploring new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products and to encourage research and innovation aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the U.S. agricultural marketing system.
Proposals must fit into one of the four project types:
- Agricultural Product Distribution — the handling, storage, processing, transportation, and distribution of agricultural products.
- Cooperative Development — the cooperation among Federal and State agencies, producers, industry organizations, and others in the development and creation of research and marketing programs to improve the distribution processes of agricultural products.
- Economic Research — to clarify marketing barriers and opportunities, including regulatory compliance costs.
- Agricultural Product Development — innovation and enhancement of agricultural products, practices, and methodology.
Federal funds awarded must be matched dollar-for-dollar by non-federal funds and/or in-kind resources. FSMIP projects should benefit multiple producers or agribusinesses. FSMIP will not award grant funds for projects that solely benefit one individual or one agribusiness.
Applications must be received by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce by 5:00 p.m. on May 22.
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