Persistent poverty agricultural product market development grants

On September 19, 2025, Rural Business Cooperative Services (RBCS), an office within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, awarded a $250,000 Project Grant to Jaime A Acevedo Quiles for persistent poverty agricultural product market development activities in Puerto Rico. This award was made under the Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) program (CFDA 10.352), with a completion deadline of September 19, 2027. The VAPG program supports agricultural producers and producer-based entities in entering value-added processing and marketing activities through two primary grant mechanisms: planning grants for feasibility studies and business plan development, and working capital grants for day-to-day operational expenses of active ventures.

Under this award, the awardee will develop or expand value-added agricultural product market opportunities designed to address persistent poverty conditions. The funding may support activities such as feasibility studies, business planning, market development strategies, and working capital for processing and marketing bio-based value-added agricultural products. Notably, funds cannot be used for agricultural production itself, real property acquisition, or fixed equipment and vehicle purchases. This award reflects RBCS's competitive grant distribution model, through which the program has awarded 1,726 grants totaling $219.3 million since 2010, with recent award amounts ranging from approximately $6,448 to $250,000.