HMB receives $455,000 in RAPP funding

Hazelnut Marketing Board receives $455,000 for foreign market development via RAPP grant

WILSONVILLE, OR — On May 21, the United State Department of Agriculture announced $300 million in grant funding to build demand for U.S. ag exports in high-potential markets. The Hazelnut Marketing Board (HMB) was one of 66 U.S. organizations chosen to receive Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) funding.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack launched RAPP in October 2023, authorizing $1.2 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funding to help U.S. exporters expand their customer base beyond traditional and established markets, focusing on regions such as Africa, Central America and the Caribbean, and South and Southeast Asia, where consumer demand and purchasing power are growing.

Of the $455,000 allocated to HMB, $103,000 is mandated to be spent on market development in Africa. HMB has identified Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt as priority countries on that continent. The remaining $352,000 will be dedicated to exploring other potentially fruitful markets that have shown an affinity for hazelnuts, but have little or no previous exposure to US hazelnuts. Brazil, Latin America, India, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have been chosen as markets of emphasis; HMB will begin market research in each region to determine the best nations to target and the most beneficial way to use these funds.

“This grant has tremendous potential to open doors for US hazelnuts and introduce our products to new markets. We were very strategic in the countries we chose, and we believe that while these are nascent markets, they represent the best possible areas of growth for us as our production continues to expand,” said Colleen Nihen, executive director of the Hazelnut Industry Office.

Hazelnut acreage in Oregon has tripled since 2011, from approximately 30,000 to an estimated 96,000 acres at the end of 2023. Yield numbers have also exploded in recent years, from 44,000 tons in 2019 to a record-setting 93,300 tons in 2023. The Pacific Northwest, which accounts for 99 percent of US hazelnut production, has risen to third in global annual hazelnut production.

This is the largest USDA-FAS grant HMB has ever received, but it is not the first; HMB has participated in the Ag Trade Promotion (ATP) program, Market Access Program (MAP) and Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program. In May, HMB was awarded $362,621 through the TASC program. The goal of this multi-year grant is to amend an extraneous fumigation barrier that prevents the export of US hazelnuts into India and replace it with a workable solution for both parties. 

The Hazelnut Marketing Board was established in 1949 by the growers and handlers of hazelnuts in Oregon and Washington. It is governed by the Federal Hazelnut Marketing Order §982 and funded by a per-ton assessment to the handlers. HMB sets quality standards for the industry, provides industry statistics, funds promotion and marketing of U.S. hazelnuts and allows handlers to implement volume controls when it is in the best interest of the industry.

To contact the Hazelnut Marketing Board, email Hazelnut@OregonHazelnuts.org or call 503-582-8420.