Date: Thursday, August 25, 2022
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WASHINGTON, August 25, 2022—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today awarded over $268,000 in Fiscal Year 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funding to American Samoa. This USDA grant will help the American Samoa Department of Agriculture and Industries fund a project that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the territory.
“USDA applauds American Samoa’s continued commitment to supporting our nation’s specialty crop producers through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The project funded will foster innovative research and new market opportunities within the specialty crop sector, while furthering USDA’s goals of creating a more fair and equitable food system and supporting local and regional producers.”
The American Samoa Department of Agriculture is using the awarded SCBGP funds to expand availability and access to specialty crops by increasing the volume of hydroponic systems within the territory. The project will ensure the livelihood of farmers within the territory Islands of Tutila and Manu by using hydroponic systems to diversify specialty crops. The Department of Agriculture will also use funds to provide new farmers, underserved farmers, commercial farmers, and subsistence farmers with technical assistance to produce, reproduce, and sustain their traditional and specialty crops.
The funding to American Samoa is part of a total of $72.9 million in non-competitive FY 2022 SCBGP funding awarded to 55 states, territories and the District of Columbia. The SCBGP funding supports farmers growing specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops. USDA’s support will strengthen U.S. specialty crop production and markets, ensuring an abundant, affordable supply of highly nutritious fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops, which are vital to the health and well-being of all Americans.
The funding for the SCBGP grants is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and FY2022 funding is awarded for a three-year period beginning September 30, 2022. Since 2006, USDA has invested more than $953 million through the SCBGP to fund 11,331 projects that have increased the long-term successes of producers and broadened the market for specialty crops in the U.S. and abroad.
More information about these awards is available on this webpage: 2022 SCBGP Awarded Grants (pdf).
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