USDA Invests $11M in Research That Will Support Specialty Crop Farmers

The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Thursday announced $11 million in research funds for specialty crop farmers.  The USDA says the funding will focus on applying innovative solutions to pest management problems “that often are otherwise not available to specialty crop farmers.”

The investment is made through the Minor Crop Pest Management Program known as the Interregional Research Project.  The program enables crop protection technology often designed for field crops, but equally safe, effective and economical for growers of specialty crops.

As part of the funding investment, four universities across different U.S. growing regions will lead regional programs to generate additional data for registration of conventional and bio-based crop protection technology for specialty and minor crops. The efforts require effective collaborations among grower organizations, federal agencies, the private sector, and land-grant colleges and universities.

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