The Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service awarded a $300,000 Cooperative Agreement to the National Watermelon Promotion Board on April 23, 2026, under the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (CFDA 10.618) to develop, maintain, and expand commercial export markets for United States agricultural commodities and products.
The award runs through September 30, 2028, with place of performance in Casselberry, Florida. The Regional Agricultural Promotion Program reimburses nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organizations, nonprofit state regional trade groups, U.S. agricultural cooperatives, and state agencies that conduct approved market development activities to foster healthy exports and market diversification. The program operates as a cost share mechanism, with funding announcements posted periodically to Grants.gov detailing application requirements, deadlines, and evaluation criteria. Applications must be submitted through the FAS Unified Export Strategy system. Grant records must be retained for three years from submission of the final expenditure report, or longer if litigation, claims, negotiations, or audits are pending.