Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2023
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WASHINGTON, August 23, 2023—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today awarded over $429,000 in Fiscal Year 2023 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funding to Mississippi. With this grant, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) will fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop products and create new market opportunities for the state’s specialty crop producers.
“With this year’s Specialty Crop Block Grant funding, Mississippi is investing in innovative projects that will help address the needs of specialty crop producers within the region,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The funded projects will also further USDA’s efforts to ensure U.S. specialty crop products remain competitive in markets across the nation and abroad.”
Through the SCBGP, the MDAC will fund ten projects. Among MDAC’s projects, is funding to investigate the effects of localized weather conditions on aphid distribution in Mississippi certified sweet potato fields. Additional funded projects focus in areas such as honeybee colony health, research on various specialty crops in high tunnel and container production systems; evaluating harvesting methods for efficiency in tea production; and evaluating long term storage effects on sweet potato nutritional quality.
“Specialty crops are a vital part of Mississippi’s agriculture industry,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson. “In 2022, Mississippi produced more than $230 million in specialty crops. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program allows us to fund much needed projects that continue to research, promote and further enhance the state’s specialty crop industry.”
The funding to Mississippi is part of a total of $72.9 million in non-competitive FY 2023 SCBGP funding awarded to 54 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 FY2023 funding is awarded for a three-year period beginning Sept. 30, 2023. Since 2006, USDA has invested over $1 billion through the SCBGP to fund nearly 12,000 projects that have increased the long-term successes of producers and enhanced marketing opportunities for U.S. specialty crops products.
More information about these awards is available on this webpage: 2023 SCBGP Awarded Grants (pdf).
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