In the US, deputy agriculture secretary Kathleen Merrigan has announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding block grants to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops both domestically and internationally.
As part of the funding, 54 grants have been handed out for 827 different projects at a total cost of US$55m (€42m), covering specialty crops including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops.
'We are pleased to support diverse efforts to help specialty crop growers market their products in a global marketplace and encourage all Americans to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption,' said Ms Merrigan. 'These grants are instrumental in helping specialty crop growers tackle the issues they are facing today.'
The funding will support speciality crops and crop farmers to be used by the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands.
Grants cover a diverse range of projects, the USDA noted, including a study to determine if E. coli can be transferred by dust and wind from cattle production areas to leafy green crops, and the coordination of a 'Farm to School' purchasing and education programme.
Some of the major recipients of the block grants are:
- Californian Department of Food and Agriculture - US$17.3m
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - US$4.8m
- Washington State Department of Agriculture - US$3.7m
- Texas Department of Agriculture - US$1.8m
- Oregon Department of Agriculture - US$1.7m
- New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets - US$1.2m
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