BI grants - rcdg discretionary value-added agricultural prod MKT dvlp

Pacific Coast Producers received a $250,000 Project Grant from the Rural Business Cooperative Services under the Value-Added Producer Grants program (CFDA 10.352), awarded September 2, 2025, with a completion date of September 2, 2027. This grant supports the development and marketing of value-added agricultural products processed by the cooperative, a small agricultural business based in Lodi, California that specializes in shelf-stable canned fruits and vegetables for federal food assistance programs. The funded activities are restricted to value-added processing and marketing initiatives and exclude agricultural production, construction, and equipment purchases.

As a working capital or planning grant under VAPG, the award funds the cooperative's efforts to enhance its existing product line and expand market development opportunities for its canned fruit and vegetable commodities, including canned peaches, pears, apricots, mixed fruit, applesauce, and tomato paste. The two-year grant period enables Pacific Coast Producers to strengthen its operational capacity and competitive positioning in value-added agricultural product markets while maintaining compliance with federal grant requirements and USDA Rural Business Cooperative Services program guidelines.