Bryant Christie Inc. is pleased to share that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded more than $25 million in support of eight new projects through the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) Initiative. USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor announced the selected projects and partnerships funded through the initiative, two of which involve BCI.
According to a USDA press release, ASCE was launched in January 2024 as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to create more, new, and better markets for U.S. producers and agribusinesses both at home and abroad. The innovative partnership between USDA and the specialty crops sector focuses on projects to address the non-tariff trade barriers that hinder U.S. exports of fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, horticultural crops and related products.
Specific projects involving BCI include one to develop a series of quick reference sheets for 60 specialty crops that will assist U.S. producers in navigating complex requirements for pesticide Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in key export markets.
The second project will be led by Ag Aligned Global, LLC in coordination with the Minor Crop Farmer Alliance and BCI. The project will establish MRLs in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies for products used on various specialty crops where they do not already exist. This project will rely extensively on BCI’s expertise in the global MRL system and the exchange of information between pest control experts within commodity groups, registrants, and government officials in target export markets.
“BCI is excited for the opportunity to work with the USDA to assist U.S. specialty crops through this new program,” said James Christie, president and CEO of BCI. “ASCE is an important new initiative created by USDA to expand exports of U.S. specialty crops and help producers. We applaud USDA for taking this important initiative. This is a big part of what we do as a company, and we are thankful to be a part of this effort.”
Christie explained the MRL guides will compare U.S. MRL standards with Codex standards and those in top export markets for each of the 60 different commodity groups. One sheet will be developed for each commodity. In addition to comparable MRL standards, the sheets will include both active ingredient and trade names for pesticides, and when available, whether a foreign market tests for that compound. These sheets will be updated twice per year with the goal of making it easier for growers and exporters to understand and comply with MRL regulations in their largest export markets.
Meanwhile, the project with AgAligned will assist specialty crops by seeking import MRLs where they do not currently exist, providing growers and shippers with confidence in their exports to APEC economies.
“Some of the USDA funding will be used to bring experts from U.S. commodity groups to APEC economies to engage with foreign government officials and, in return, for these officials to visit growing areas to learn about how pests are controlled by U.S. farmers,” explained Christie.
More information and a list of all eight projects funded through ASCE can be found here. For more details on the projects being conducted by BCI, please do not hesitate to reach out us at (916) 492-7062 or news@bryantchristie.com.