The Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that the USDA is providing $1 billion in assistance for specialty crops and sugar; commodities not covered through the previously announced Farmer Bridge Assistance program. Deputy Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Brooke Appleton said the program will assist specialty crop growers through various market challenges.

Appleton… “ These are commodities not covered through Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. So in an effort to tailor much needed trade relief assistance to the unique needs of the specialty crop producers, we solicited feedback from the specialty crop industry and stakeholders over the last couple of months, in order to better evaluate the unique specialty crop market impacts and economic needs of these producers. So these one-time payments will help address their market destruction, their elevated input costs, persistent inflation and market losses from foreign competitors, engaging unfair trade practices that impede exports. So really the same reasons why we're doing Farmer bridge assistance apply here to the assistance for specialty crop farmers.”

The Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program is authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and will be administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Specialty crop producers have until March 13, 2026, to report 2025 acres to the FSA.