To boost fruit &
veggie consumption, USDA awards $55 mil in specialty crop grants
By
Agri-Pulse Staff
© Copyright
Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.
Dover,
DE, Sept. 17 – USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan
announced the award of block grants Friday to enhance the
competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as
fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and
nursery crops, including floriculture. Merrigan announced the awards
at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
(NACD) annual meeting in Delaware.
“We are pleased to support diverse
efforts to help specialty crop growers market their products in a
global marketplace and encourage all Americans to increase their
fruit and vegetable consumption,” said Merrigan. “These grants
are instrumental in helping specialty crop growers tackle the issues
they are facing today.”
The 54 grants announced Friday total
approximately $55 million, and will fund 827 projects, a 10 percent
increase over last year. The aim is to support the competitiveness of
specialty crops and America’s specialty crop farmers. The funds
will be used by the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Summaries of all awards can be viewed at www.ams.usda.gov/scbgp
The block grants benefit specialty crop
growers and consumers as well. For example, one block grant recipient
is partnering with a university to determine if E. coli 0157:H7 can
be transferred by dust or wind from cattle production areas to leafy
green produce crops. Another recipient is partnering with an agency
to coordinate a Farm to School program where school districts will
purchase specialty crops from a variety of growers for direct use in
school meals, and provide nutrition and agriculture education about
the benefits and nutritional qualities of specialty crops to students
and school personnel.
The grant recipients are:
- Alabama Department of Agriculture &
Industries - $435,904.12
- Alaska Division of Agriculture -
$197,258.55
- Arizona Department of Agriculture -
$1,175,326.21
- Arkansas Agriculture Department -
$270,934.69
- California Department of Food and
Agriculture - $17,281,158.92
- Colorado Department of Agriculture -
$773,535.26
- Connecticut Department of Agriculture -
$445,339.20
- Delaware Department of Agriculture -
$251,741.11
- District of Columbia, Agricultural
Experiment Station - $181,210.00
- Florida Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services - $4,797,413.00
- Georgia Department of Agriculture -
$1,015,360.23
- Guam Department of Agriculture -
$183,112.95
- Hawaii Department of Agriculture -
$416,808.98
- Idaho State Department of Agriculture -
$1,037,890.22
- Illinois Department of Agriculture -
$648,085.68
- Indiana State Department of Agriculture
- $399,796.45
- Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land
Stewardship - $276,310.76
- Kansas Department of Agriculture -
$282,828.14
- Kentucky Department of Agriculture -
$273,262.60
- Louisiana Department of Agriculture and
Forestry - $353,448.31
- Maine Department of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Resources - $420,878.14
- Maryland Department of Agriculture -
$432,766.91
- Massachusetts Department of
Agricultural Resources - $502,944.14
- Michigan Department of Agriculture -
$1,415,489.62
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture -
$802,718.56
- Mississippi Department of Agriculture -
$293,555.29
- Missouri Department of Agriculture -
$342,960.19
- Montana Department of Agriculture -
$292,954.57
- Nebraska Department of Agriculture -
$353,970.92
- Nevada Department of Agriculture -
$231,060.95
- New Hampshire Department of
Agriculture, Markets & Food - $260,467.66
- New Jersey Department of Agriculture -
$840,373.74
- New Mexico Department of Agriculture -
$396,160.84
- New York State Department of
Agriculture & Markets - $1,254,272.19
- North Carolina Department of
Agriculture & Consumer Services - $1,147,731.84
- North Dakota Department of Agriculture
- $665,630.19
- Ohio Department of Agriculture -
$675,086.37
- Oklahoma State Department of
Agriculture - $369,855.41
- Oregon Department of Agriculture -
$1,764,486.13
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
- $1,069,427.21
- Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture -
$400,097.74
- Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management, Division of Agriculture - $ 224,472.49
- South Carolina Department of
Agriculture - $524,182.84
- South Dakota Department of Agriculture
- $208,816.87
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture -
$520,784.72
- Texas Department of Agriculture -
$1,800,402.41
- U.S. Virgin Islands Department of
Agriculture - $182,405.21
- Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
- $309,814.75
- Vermont Agency of Agriculture -
$228,703.36
- Virginia Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services - $513,226.81
- Washington State Department of
Agriculture - $3,744,666.16
- West Virginia Department of Agriculture
- $213,597.69
- Wisconsin Department of Agriculture,
Trade and Consumer Protection - $1,056,177.63
- Wyoming Department of Agriculture -
$206,135.08
The program administered by USDA's
Agricultural Marketing Service is designed to increase child and
adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops; improve
efficiency and reduce costs of distribution systems; assist entities
in the specialty crop distribution chain in developing “Good
Agricultural Practices,” “Good Handling Practices,” “Good
Manufacturing Practices,” and cost-share arrangements for funding
audits of such systems for small farmers, packers and processors;
invest in specialty crop research, including research to focus on
conservation and environmental outcomes; enhance food safety; develop
new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops, pest and disease
control, development of organic and sustainable production practices;
increase the marketability of specialty crop farmers, including
Native American and disadvantaged farmers; develop local and regional
food systems; and improve food access in underserved communities.
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