09/20/06 Specialty crop block grants

Specialty crop producers will get some help from the government to aid them in growing, distributing and marketing their crops. USDA has put the finishing touches on new rules that will give block grants to the state departments of agriculture. Lloyd Day runs the US Agriculture Department's marketing service. DAY "It essentially covers all specialty crops, fresh, processed, nuts, fruits, vegetables, the whole gambit. It's a seven million dollar allocation from congress and essentially 100 thousand dollars goes to all 50 states and the District of Columbia." Day says the object of the grants is to allow the states to determine how to best spend the money on their specialty crops. DAY "It could be promotion type of campaigns for the nutritious aspects of a certain crop. It could be for infrastructure and ideas related on how to move a product, how to insure that there are aspects around the production such as water or temperature or testing or other types of activities." The states are starting to apply for the grants and Day says once their paperwork is complete and reviewed by USDA the money will start flowing. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott