Block Grant for Florida blueberries

$49 MILLION IN USDA GRANTS ANNOUNCED FOR SPECIALTY CROPS

Florida’s specialty crop industry has been awarded $4.1 million in block grant funding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Oct. 15. The grants are for a variety of purposes, from citrus greening research to marketing of tomatoes. The USDA announced a $49 million block grant allocation for all 50 states and the U.S. territories for 2009. For 2010 and the remainder of the farm bill funding period (through 2012), the amount will increase to $55 million per year. Florida’s grant will fund 17 projects, including:  - Four research projects to fight citrus greening - Exploration of opportunities to reverse eroding sales of Florida tomatoes and identify new markets - Promotion of the health benefits of watermelon - New curricula for Florida Agriculture in the Classroom - A training program on legal compliance and workplace safety for farm labor contractors and crew leaders who supervise farmworkers - Integrated pest management strategies for blueberries “We greatly appreciate all the hard work Commissioner Bronson and the team at FDACS put into assembling an outstanding package for USDA to consider,” said FFVA President Mike Stuart. “The initiatives funded for Florida focus on many of the major challenges faced by specialty crop producers in the state.” The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, in which FFVA played a leadership role, was instrumental in creating the block grant program and in obtaining expanded funding during the 2008 farm bill debate. A state-by-state summary of projects is available online.

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