$2 million for Specialty Crops
Sixteen Projects Approved for 2015 Specialty Crop Funding
Specialty crop projects across Idaho have been approved for funding from the USDA's Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture has been allotted $1,889,347.83 for projects that improve specialty crops in Idaho, making the industry and Idaho more competitive.
Specialty crops are defined to include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. Eligible projects are required to benefit more than one organization and solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Projects may include pest and disease control, reducing production costs and inputs, new seed varieties, market development, enhancing food safety, technology solutions to production issues, and promotion.
"The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program has been very important to Idaho agriculture. This is the seventh year of the program and we've invested almost $8 million of federal funding into Idaho projects. Some of those projects have been extremely innovative and on the leading edge of technology," ISDA Director Celia Gould said. "We've funded projects for remote sensing technology applications for crop monitoring as well as robotic harvesting technology."
This year, 16 projects were selected for funding, including research, promotional and educational activities for potato, bean, apple, cherry, onion, wine grape and pea and lentil crops. These projects are from diverse organizations, commissions and universities, throughout Idaho. More information on the Specialty Crop Grant Program can be found at ISDA's Web site, www.agri.idaho.gov.
