This is a single USDA Foreign Agricultural Service award, up to $2 million total, to develop verifiable, traceable low-oxygen storage and packaging systems for U.S. tree nuts so exports can meet phytosanitary rules without fumigation. It fits tree nut handlers, ag-tech developers, universities, and cooperatives working on export pest control. If your business has nothing to do with tree nuts, specialty crops, or export traceability technology, do not apply.
| Industry | Estimated fit |
|---|---|
| Technology & SoftwareMatches your industry (technology, tech, digital) | 78 |
| Environment & ConservationMatches your industry (environment) | 77 |
| Agriculture & FarmingMatches your industry (crop) | 73 |
| Education & TrainingMatches your industry (stem) | 64 |
| Food & BeverageCurrently accepting applications | 64 |
| Retail & E-CommerceMatches your industry (economic) | 64 |
| Industry | Estimated fit |
|---|---|
| Arts & CultureMatches your industry (cultural) | 63 |
| Finance & BankingMatches your industry (economic) | 61 |
| Energy & Clean TechLimit: Nothing in this notice points to energy & clean tech | 54 |
| Healthcare & BiotechLimit: Nothing in this notice points to healthcare & biotech | 54 |
| Housing & Real EstateLimit: Nothing in this notice points to housing & real estate | 54 |
| ManufacturingLimit: Nothing in this notice points to manufacturing | 54 |
| Social Services & NonprofitLimit: Not clearly about your industry or what you need funding for; check the… | 54 |
| Transportation & LogisticsLimit: Nothing in this notice points to transportation & logistics | 54 |
| Construction & InfrastructureLimit: Nothing in this notice points to construction & infrastructure | 53 |
These are our matcher’s estimates for a typical business in each industry. A real match depends on your size, your state and what you need the money for — check your own fit.
USDA FAS grant to develop verifiable, traceable low-oxygen (modified/controlled atmosphere) storage and packaging systems for U.S. tree nuts and specialty crops, enabling phytosanitary compliance and export without fumigation. Open to nearly any entity including private businesses, universities, nonprofits, cooperatives, and trade associations.
The occurrence of insects as well as pesticide residuals can be significant barriers for U.S. horticultural exports. Each importing country can have unique phytosanitary and maximum residue limit (MRL) requirements, which creates operational and logistical challenges. To maximize return to growers, U.S. shippers need tools that can universally address all such requirements while maintaining product quality. Currently, tree nuts and many other durable specialty crops require fumigations or freezing, which are both expensive and create bottlenecks in marketing. More and more tree nut handlers are using a modified atmosphere (MA) or controlled atmosphere (CA) technology in which low-oxygen conditions (<1% by volume) are maintained during storage and/or in packaging. Low-oxygen conditions are known to control insect pests, leave no chemical residuals, and result in high quality products since the lipid oxidation that causes rancidity is markedly suppressed. While this approach is being used as a condition of sale, there is currently no efficient way for shippers to validate the low-oxygen conditions for customers, let alone importers with phytosanitary requirements for insect control. Technically and economically viable, verifiable, and preferably traceable technologies are critically needed before low-oxygen storage and packaging approaches can be used for export to most countries. Currently, the existing low-oxygen technologies do not incorporate digital mapping or official record-keeping during the packing or storage process, so there is no non-invasive manner to verify the oxygen content over time within the gas-impermeable liners and/or confirm seal integrity. This limits the ability to verify that a low-oxygen environment has been maintained at a specific oxygen level over a certain period of time, which would be necessary to ensure the conditions were met to act as a phytosanitary treatment. Counties such as India, Korea, and Japan require phytosanitary treatments, such as fumigation, for post-harvest pest management before many types of U.S. tree nuts can be imported into the countries. Additionally, buyers in other markets also request pest management treatments as a condition of sale in commercial transactions.
This opportunity is available to U.S. academic institutions, state governments, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) designation, U.S. trade associations, U.S. agricultural cooperatives, international organizations, foreign entities, and any other entity including private sector businesses.All applicants must have an active registration in the U.S. Government System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) before the date of award. Applicants with inactive, expired, pending, or excluded listings will be deemed ineligible. Exceptions, waivers, or extensions will not be considered. More information about SAM.gov registration can be found in this document in Section 9, Other Information.
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