The Agriculture Department doled out $82.3 million to specialty crop producers last week as part of a larger effort to enhance industry competitiveness.
Funding will support state research and marketing efforts for producers of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and other specialty crops, the USDA said in a release. Grants were awarded to 65 recipients and will fund more than 520 projects.
“This funding will strengthen U.S. specialty crop production and markets and ensure Americans have sustained access to fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and more,” Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, said in a statement.
Around $73 million in the latest round of grant funding came from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Another $9.4 million was awarded through the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program.
The grants support a wide variety of projects, including marketing campaigns, technical support initiatives and university research programs. Multiple states plan to use their funding to better address specialty crop diseases, explore the benefits of cover crops and prepare growers for new produce safety requirements under the FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act.
“This funding will enable our growers to innovate, reach new markets, and continue producing the high-quality crops that define our state," Arkansas Department of Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward said in a statement.
The awards, which range from a few hundred thousand dollars to $23 million, come as specialty crop producers push for more grant funding in the upcoming farm bill. The House farm bill draft fulfills producers' request to increase funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to $100 million a year, up from $85 million.
