Juneau, Alaska, U.S.A.-based Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) recently secured USD 10.7 million (EUR 9.2 million) in federal grants to increase the international marketing of Alaskan seafood.
In a release, ASMI confirmed USD 4.7 million (EUR 4 million) is coming from the federal Market Access Program, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a way to share the cost burden on U.S. organizations looking to advertise products internationally, so long as the products can help build commercial export markets for U.S. agricultural products and commodities.
ASMI received an addition USD 6 million (EUR 5.1 million) from the America First Trade Promotion Program (AFTPP), a new USDA initiative that aims to strengthen and expand export markets for American-made products.
“These international grant awards, in combination with ASMI’s strong efforts in the U.S. domestic market, help to increase demand for Alaska seafood, which in turn increases the value throughout the Alaska seafood supply chain.” ASMI Executive Director Jeremy Woodrow said. “This benefits Alaska processors, businesses, and fishermen, as well as Alaska communities.”
Federal funds granted in this round were given after a competitive application system with program matching funds – 33 percent, or USD 1.5 million (EUR 1.3 million), of the MAP funds will be matched and 10 percent, or USD 600,000 (EUR 510,000), of the AFTPP funds will be matched. ASMI added in the release that the organization is able to leverage funds from the state of Alaska’s general funds as well as the organization’s assessment, which is set at a 0.5 percent of Alaskan ex-vessel value as a matching amount.
“I am immensely proud of the ASMI International team, whose efforts and achievements have resulted in sustained and expanding support from USDA,” ASMI International Program Director Nicole Alba said. “With 70 percent of Alaska seafood by value exported annually, these awards come at a critical time for our industry. They provide market diversification, competitiveness, increase resiliency, and continue to allow Alaska to feed the world with healthy, nutritious, and sustainable protein.”
ASMI said that a 2023 analysis found that the organization was able to garner more than USD 40 million (EUR 34.2 million) in competitive federal grants from 2020 to 2024, which is almost equal to the USD 44 million (37.6 million) generated by its industry assessment and state of Alaska funding within those four years.
