Value added producer grants disaster (vapg disaster) - grant

Finca Alicante Inc. received a $250,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Cooperative Services under the Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) program (CFDA 10.352), awarded on September 19, 2025, with a completion date of September 19, 2027. This award supports the awardee's activities related to processing and/or marketing value-added agricultural products in Puerto Rico. The VAPG program provides two categories of assistance: planning grants to establish economic viability through feasibility studies and business plans, or working capital grants to fund operational expenses for active value-added ventures. Based on the award amount and disaster designation, this grant likely supports either planning activities to validate a new value-added agricultural initiative or working capital needs for an existing operation responding to disaster recovery circumstances.

The Value-Added Producer Grants program, administered nationally by Rural Business Cooperative Services, awards competitive project grants to agricultural producers, producer groups, cooperatives, and producer-based businesses to help them enter or expand value-added processing and marketing activities. Eligible uses include feasibility studies, business plans, and operational expenses, while ineligible uses include agricultural production, construction, real property, and fixed equipment purchases. The program has distributed $219.3 million across 1,726 grants since 2010, with recent awards typically ranging from approximately $6,448 to $250,000 and carrying two-year performance periods.