December 11, 2007

LANSING - Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Don Koivisto today announced the USDA Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) will distribute $1.3 million in federal matching funds nationwide to the food and agriculture industry. The program is administered by MDA and other state departments of agriculture.

“The program allows us to leverage federal and private resources to develop and enhance Michigan's dynamic agriculture industry,” said Koivisto. “We encourage Michigan food and agriculture organizations to take advantage of this opportunity to expand their programs.”

FSMIP funds a wide-range of applied research projects that address barriers, challenges, and opportunities in marketing, transportation, and distribution of U.S. food and agricultural products domestically and internationally.

Eligible agricultural categories include livestock, livestock products, food and feed crops, fish, horticulture, viticulture, apiary, and forest products and processed or manufactured products derived from such commodities. Reflecting the growing diversity of U.S. agriculture in recent years, FSMIP has funded projects dealing with nutraceuticals, bioenergy, compost, and products made from agricultural residues.

Proposals may deal with barriers, challenges, or opportunities manifesting at any stage of the marketing chain including direct, wholesale, and retail. Proposals may involve small, medium, or large scale agricultural entities but should potentially benefit multiple producers or agribusinesses. Proprietary proposals that benefit one business or individual will not be considered.

Please include in your budget an additional five percent in the salary/fringe line for MDA FSMIP grant oversight. Proposals reflecting a collaborative approach between states, academia, and the farm sector are of particular interest.

The application and guidelines are available at: www.ams.usda.gov/tmd/fsmip.htm. Proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 7, 2008. MDA will review and forward approved submissions to USDA. Submissions may be mailed via U.S. Postal Service to: Mike DiBernardo, MDA Agriculture Development Division, P.O. Box 30017, Lansing, MI 48909 or via email to: dibernardom@michigan.gov.