Specialty crop producers can take advantage of up to $1.3 billion in additional assistance after a recent announcement by the US Department of Agriculture.
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops funding, through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, follows $900 million already distributed to eligible producers. The goal of the funding is to help offset rising input costs in a variety of categories like “perishability,” specialized equipment, packaging, shipping and labor, as well as expand markets across the country.
When it was announced this past December, the MASC program authorized $2 billion. It has since increased to $2.65 billion.
MASC covers several commercially-marketed specialty crops like fresh and dried fruits; vegetables like dry beans, peas and mushrooms; tree nuts; and other specialty items.
