Specialty Crop Funding

Specialty Crop Funding

Specialty Crop Funding. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report.

It was a good day yesterday for agriculture in Wasington State as the WSDA and USDA announced the state would be receiving some $4.1 million dollars to fund a variety of specialty crop projects. Mike Louisell with the Washington State Department of Agriculture explains.

LOUISELL: The federal government has approved 24 projects that will benefit farmers across the state. Washington is the second largest specialty crop producer in the United States. Many farmers are benefitting from these grants. Primarily we're talking about the grants involving apples, potatoes, sweet cherries, pears and many others that support consumers and production of agriculture and manufacturing facilities across the state.

Awards for individual projects range from $43,000 to $250,000 and will go to agricultural commodity commissions, agricultural associations, non-profit organizations and Washington State University. WSDA selected projects that will directly benefit producers in the near term to address plant disease, water-use efficiency and other critical industry issues. Projects that included matching funds or in-kind donations by the applicant were given priority. All projects are to be completed within 2.5 years.

That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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