$100M available in federal funding to boost specialty crop competitiveness
More than $100 million in grant funding is available to boost specialty crop competitiveness.
More than $100 million in grant funding is available to boost specialty crop competitiveness initiatives through a pair of USDA Agricultural Marketing Service programs.
The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) has $86.6 million available in funding for projects designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through marketing, education and research, while $14.3 million is available through the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP) to fund collaborative multi-state partnerships to boost specialty crops.
SCBGP applications will be accepted until June 8. Funds are distributed to U.S. states and territories based on a formula that considers both specialty crop acreage and production value.
Eligible SCBGP applicants are agricultural agencies or departments of agriculture in the 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Participating states and territories will subaward funding to locally led projects to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, floriculture, and nursery crops.
Those interested in applying for a subaward should apply directly through their state departments of agriculture. A list of state contacts is available on the SCBGP website.
SCMP awards competitive grants to participating state departments of agriculture as well as local governments, tribal governments, institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations residing in nonparticipating states. Funding supports projects that address food safety, plant pests and disease, research, crop-specific common issues, and marketing and promotion for specialty crops.
State departments must partner with organizations located in at least two different states to qualify. SCMP applications will be accepted until Oct. 16.
Applications for both programs must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov.
An April 3 budget proposal includes a 19% cut in USDA funding from 2026 levels, including a $61 million cut in AMS funding.