USDA announces Specialty Crop Investment thanks to working families tax cuts

Tuesday in Michigan alongside U.S. Representative Tom Barrett, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the availability of over $275 million in grant funding in FY2026 for the specialty crop industry in the United States through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), and the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP).

Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, USDA is able to provide $175 million per year for SCRI, more than double the previous amount of $80 million per year. The Working Families Tax Cut also increased the total funding available for SCBGP and SCMP from $85 million per year to $100 million per year starting in FY2026.

“The Working Families Tax Cuts provided the largest investment in American agriculture, including boosting support for America’s specialty crop producers. At a time when more Americans are demanding whole, nutritious foods aligned with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, at USDA we are ensuring the farmers who grow these foods have the tools necessary to continue their operations,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “It’s thanks to members of Congress like Tom Barret that Michigan specialty crop producers and those around the country will be able to use these boosted investments.”

“I was proud to deliver tax relief and real investments for Michigan agriculture in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, including in research, education, and marketing for our state’s many specialty crops,” said Congressman Tom Barrett. “I’m grateful to Secretary Rollins for launching the next round of funding here in Michigan, where our farmers produce more than 300 agricultural commodities, and our scientists lead the way in agricultural research. These investments will ensure Michigan farms stay on the cutting edge as they grow crops to feed America and the world.”

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is tasked with implementing SCRI which provides funding for research and extension projects to address the most critical challenges faced by the domestic specialty crop industry. For the first time ever, the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for SCRI will set aside at least $20 million to fund research and development into mechanization and automation technologies for the specialty crop industry to help reduce labor costs.

Both SCBGP and SCMP are implemented by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and provide funding for innovative projects designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through marketing, education, and research. Funds for SCBGP are distributed to States and territories by the Agricultural Marketing Service based on a formula that considers both specialty crop acreage and production value while SCMP funds are awarded on a competitive basis to States as well as local governments, Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, or nonprofit organizations residing in nonparticipating States.

Earlier this year, USDA also announced the availability of $1 billion to support the specialty crop industry through the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program.