USDA investment aimed at bolstering specialty crop production

A new round of USDA investment will advance research and Extension activities aimed at solving key challenges facing specialty crop and organic agriculture producers.

The $121 million investment includes $70.4 million to support specialty crop production research across the U.S. and $50.5 million to support farmers and ranchers who grow and market high-quality organic food, fiber and organic products.

The farm bill defines specialty as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops. The investment announced Sept. 10 is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Specialty Crop Research Initiative.

“We know specialty and organic crops add nutrition to our diets and value to sustainable agriculture systems,” Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, said in a news release. “These crops also play a vital role preserving cultural heritage and enhancing economic opportunities across local, regional and global food systems, making them great competitive funding investments that target some of the most difficult challenges facing specialty crop and organic producers nationwide.”

NIFA’s latest specialty crops production investment builds on USDA’s recently announced $82.3 million in grant funding through the Agricultural Marketing Service to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and support producers.

The funding was awarded through USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and Specialty Crop Multi-State Grant Program.

Examples of  Specialty Crop Research Initiative-funded projects include:

• North Carolina State University, $9.8 million: A team of researchers will develop sustainable solutions for labor, efficiency, automation and production in the nursery industry.
• Washington State University, $6.7 million: Apple and pear crops are increasingly susceptible to losses due to extreme temperatures driven by climate change. Researchers will develop mitigation strategies for current cultivars and assess new cultivars’ suitability for future climate conditions.