01/05/06 Value added grants for Idaho producers

USDA Rural Development has 19 and a half million dollars in grant money to help agriculture producers develop value added activities. MERRITT "There are two different types of grants. There's a planning grant and there's a working capital grant." Idaho Rural Development's Rhonda Merritt says this matching fund program has been available since 2001 and was created to help producers or groups add value to their product through processing or marketing. Idaho applicants are competing with other ag producers from across the nation for the grants and Merritt says its best that producers contact her now so she can assist them in the complicated application process. MERRITT "So I'd have to know more about individual projects to be able to guide people so the best thing I can say is that if they're interested in the program to give me a call and then I can talk through their project a little bit to see where they can go." You can reach Rhonda Merritt in Boise at 378-5623 or at this e-mail address rhonda.merritt@id.usda.gov. During the last two years Idaho producers have received almost $900,000 in grants through this program. The deadline to apply for this fiscal year is March 31st. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott