Support is available to producers nationwide, and will significantly assist producers of citrus and other specialty crops in the Southeast after Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton
USDA also offers new flexibilities to help producers access USDA disaster programs
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2024 – Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the creation of new programs that will help farmers who grow fruits, nuts, and vegetables overcome market barriers for their products, and producers access necessary pre-market storage for their crops following severe weather events including recent hurricanes. Specifically, the new Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops initiative will provide $2 billion will assist specialty crop growers maintain a strong domestic supply as they are faced with increased production costs and competition that limits their ability to charge higher prices.
USDA is also creating the Commodity Storage Assistance Program, which will provide $140 million to help producers gain access to a packinghouse, grai elevator, or other facility necessary for the marketing of agricultural commodities. This program is designed for farmers nationwide to support competition and disaster-related challenges, but USDA anticipates high signup rates in the Southeast due to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Debbie, Helene and Milton.
“From providing high-quality, nutritious, American-grown fruits, nuts, and vegetables to our nation and the world, to serving as economic pillars of their communities, specialty crop producers play a critical role in the success of U.S. agriculture,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops and Commodity Storage Assistance programs will be important for producers in every corner of the United States, but they come at an especially critical time for southeastern farmers, who will face a difficult and long recovery after this season’s devastating hurricanes.”
These programs would complement the disaster assistance package the Biden-Harris Administration has proposed to Congress, which included a request for resources for USDA’s Emergency Relief Program (ERP) and Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP), in addition to nutrition assistance, and rural infrastructure support. The ERP and ELRP provide support for disaster losses for row crop, specialty crop, and livestock producers.
Marketing Assistance Program for Specialty Crops
The Marketing Assistance Program for Specialty Crops will expand markets by helping specialty crop producers offset higher marketing costs related to the tenderness and perishability of fruits, vegetables, floriculture, nursery crops and herbs; specialized handling and transport equipment with temperature and humidity control; packaging; moving perishables to market quickly; and higher labor costs. USDA anticipates applications will open in December 2024.
This initiative builds on previous investments by USDA under the Biden-Harris Administration to in support of the U.S. specialty crop industry. In January 2024, as part of its new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), a foreign market development and food security initiative announced in October 2023, USDA launched the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) initiative, which is providing $65 million for projects that will help the specialty crop sector increase global exports and expand to new markets.
Additionally, USDA announced $72.9 million in grant funding available to support the specialty crops industry through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which will fund innovative projects designed to bolster the competitiveness of the expanding specialty crop sector. Specialty crop exports totaled $24.6 billion in FY2023, representing 13.8 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports.