Press Release
Posted:
St. Helena – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) released the following statement after the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded the California Department of Food and Agriculture a $23.4 million grant from the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP).
“California is a leader in the nation when it comes to agricultural output, and our farmers, ranchers, and growers support the availability of nutritious and abundant specialty crops,” said Thompson. “The funding from USDA will help our agriculture community strengthen their production and boost supply for the millions in the United States and around the world who depend on our products.”
SCBGP grants will be used to fund projects that support the specialty crop industry by enhancing food safety, investing in specialty crop research (including research to focus on conservation and environmental outcomes), developing new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops, and improving strategies for pest and disease control. In addition, some projects will focus on increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge, consumption of specialty crops and improving efficiency and reducing costs of produce distribution systems.
Funding for the SCBGP grants is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and FY 2022 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.