"USDA Grants $72.9 Million to Boost Specialty Crop Producers; $1 Billion Milestone Reached"

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced $72.9 million in grant funding awarded to 55 states and territories through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). This program aims to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and support specialty crop growers through marketing, education, and research. With this announcement, the total investment through the program has reached over $1 billion, benefiting nearly 12,000 projects that support the U.S. specialty crop industry. The funded projects include food safety investments, specialty crop research, nutrition education, and improving distribution systems, among others.