Locally or Regionally Produced Agricultural Food Products

Samenvatting

The Locally or Regionally Produced Agricultural Food Products provision, under the Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program, is designed to help facilitate the production, processing, and distribution of locally and regionally produced agricultural food products. Although demand exists for locally and regionally produced foods, producers in many parts of the country have difficulties accessing markets and processing facilities as well as establishing distribution channels. In addition, some retail outlets are less willing to buy from smaller volume producers because the volume of food that the producers can supply at any one time is insufficient. The Locally or Regionally Produced Agricultural Food Products provision provides loan guarantees for the purpose of establishing or facilitating enterprises that process, distribute, aggregate, store, and market locally or regionally produced agricultural food products to support community development and farm and ranch income. For purposes of this provision under the B&I Guaranteed Loan Program, 7 U.S.C. 1932(g)(9) provides: "The term `locally or regionally produced agricultural food product' means any agricultural food product