Assisting Specialist Crop Exports: Provision of MRL Information | USDA FAS 10621 0750 10 24 0006

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 10621 0750 10 24 0006

The grant opportunity titled "Assisting Specialist Crop Exports: Provision of MRL Information" is a discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). It focuses on helping U.S. specialty crop exporters overcome trade barriers tied to maximum residue limits (MRLs), which are the allowable thresholds for pesticide, fungicide, and herbicide residues on food products. The core problem the program is trying to address is that U.S. producers of high-value specialty crops like fruits, nuts, vegetables, and herbs often run into market access issues because different countries set different MRL standards, use different regulatory and inspection approaches, or do not have an MRL established at all for certain crop-chemical combinations.

A major theme of the opportunity is that specialty crops are hit especially hard by MRL-related barriers compared with other commodities. When an importing country sets an MRL lower than the U.S. tolerance level, or when the importing country has no MRL on the books, exporters may be blocked from shipping product or may face a heightened risk of rejection at the border. This can force producers to abandon standard pest management tools or alter application practices in ways that reduce effectiveness, disrupt integrated pest management plans, or increase production risk and cost. The situation is made more complicated because many specialty crops do not have established Codex Alimentarius (Codex) MRLs, which are internationally recognized reference standards that can sometimes help bridge gaps between national systems. On top of that, countries often differ in what scientific data they require and how they evaluate that data when setting national MRLs, which slows down or prevents the creation of workable import tolerances.

In practical terms, the grant is aimed at supporting work that provides MRL information to assist specialty crop exports, reflecting the idea that better, more accessible, and more targeted MRL intelligence can help exporters understand requirements, avoid violations, and prioritize where technical efforts are needed to open or maintain markets. While the short description does not spell out specific deliverables, the title and framing suggest activities centered on collecting, organizing, analyzing, and disseminating MRL requirements across export markets, and potentially identifying gaps where missing or overly restrictive MRLs are limiting trade.

Key administrative details include an opportunity number of USDA FAS 10621 0750 10 24 0006, a CFDA number of 10.621 (Agriculture), and an award ceiling of $2,500,000. USDA FAS expects to make one award under this opportunity. The original closing date listed is October 18, 2024, and the opportunity was created on July 22, 2024. Eligibility is not fully described in the excerpt provided and is referenced as being located in Section C of the full funding opportunity announcement, with the eligibility category shown broadly as "Others," meaning applicants should rely on the official Section C language to confirm who can apply and what documentation or qualifications are required.

Overall, this funding opportunity is designed to strengthen the ability of U.S. specialty crop producers and exporters to compete internationally by reducing the uncertainty and friction caused by inconsistent, missing, or restrictive MRLs across global markets, primarily through improved provision and use of MRL information tied directly to export needs.

• The Foreign Agricultural Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assisting Specialist Crop Exports: Provision of MRL Information" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.621.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-18. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA FAS 10621 0750 10 24 0006

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