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 $419,000 in Fiscal Year 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funding to Missouri. This USDA grant will help the Missouri Department of Agriculture fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the state and support specialty crop growers through marketing, education, and research.
“USDA applauds Missouri’s continued commitment to supporting our nation’s producers of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The projects 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.”
Through the SCBGP, the Missouri Department of Agriculture is funding ten projects. Among the projects, is a University of Missouri Extension project to train extension educators and beginning and established farmers on hydroponic cultivation methods for specialty crops. The education program will provide technical information and investment estimates for commercial production. Additional funded projects focus in areas such as water quality, herbicides, and farmer education programming.
“The projects funded through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program will help Missouri producers through research or promotion of specialty crops, which continue to be a larger part of the agriculture industry each year,” said Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn. “These funds will assist projects in both rural and urban settings, allowing our producers to find continued success. Missouri agriculture is extremely diverse. I am excited to see how these projects impact the specialty crop industry in our state for years to come.”
The funding to Missouri 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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