Earlier this week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced two investments by the USDA designed to support the U.S. specialty crops industry.
“Specialty crop producers feed our nation and the world with nutritious fruits, nuts, and vegetables and supply our communities with horticulture products. Yet, they have unique challenges and opportunities to compete in the domestic market and a vast array of barriers that prevent their world-class products from entering foreign markets,” Secretary Vilsack said.
The Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) initiative will provide $65 million for projects that will help the specialty crop sector increase global exports and expand to new markets. The ASCE will be funded by the agency’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program.
Additionally, the USDA announced $72.9 million in grant funding available to support the specialty crops industry through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) will fund innovative projects designed to bolster the competitiveness of the expanding specialty crop sector.
In 2023, specialty crop exports totaled $24.6 billion, representing 13.8 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports. According to the latest 2017 Census of Agriculture, specialty crops accounted for 30% of total crop sales in the U.S., encompassing more than 222,000 farms and 350 types of crops in addition to the major commodity crops.
Grant applications are due by May 2 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. They can be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov. More information about the programs is available through USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
