USDA Announces Over $60 Million in Grant Availability for the Specialty Crop Industry
Michelle Person
WASHINGTON,
March 7, 2017 – The U. S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is making more than $60 million in
grants available to support farmers growing fruits, vegetables, tree
nuts, and nursery crops, also known as specialty crops. The Specialty
Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) grants are allocated to U.S. states and
territories for projects that help support projects including research,
agricultural extension activities, and programs to address the needs of
America’s specialty crop industry.
Interested parties should
apply directly through their state departments of agriculture, which
manage the competitive grant process. A listing of the SCBGP’s state
contacts, and how to apply with state application due dates, can be
found on the AMS Specialty Crop Block Grant Program web page. State departments of agriculture must submit their applications to AMS by June 7, 2017.
The
SCBGP funding, administered by AMS, is allocated based on a formula
that considers both specialty crop acreage and production value in each
State and Territory. The grants are part of USDA’s continued effort to
enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and provide resources to
strengthen American agriculture.
USDA encourages states to submit
specialty crops projects related to the following priority areas:
research; food safety; sustainability; developing new and improved seed
varieties and specialty crops; pest and disease control; child and adult
nutrition; improving efficiency of distribution systems; and helping
businesses to comply with the requirements of the Food Safety
Modernization Act.
For more information about these grant programs, including program background, visit the AMS grants website: www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants. The website also contains a link “What AMS Grant is Right for Me?” under which applicants can use a grants decision tree to determine which AMS grant fits their project best.
Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at www.ams.usda.gov/news or follow us on Twitter @USDA_AMS. You can also read about us on the USDA blog.
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