Date: Thursday, August 25, 2022
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WASHINGTON, August 25, 2022—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today awarded over $245,000 in Fiscal Year 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funding to Guam. This USDA grant will help the Guam Department of Agriculture fund a project that will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the territory.
“USDA applauds Guam’s continued commitment to supporting our nation’s specialty crop producers through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The project funded will foster new market opportunities within the specialty crop sector, while furthering USDA’s goals of creating a more fair and equitable food system and supporting local and regional producers.”
Through SCBGP funding, the Guam Department of Agriculture is collaborating with the University of Guam to introduce black pepper as a potential crop for local producers. The department expects the project will find suitable propagation methods of black peppers as a new crop for Guam. The goal is to provide local producers with a viable and sustainable specialty crop with a niche market.
The funding to Guam is part of a total of $72.9 million in non-competitive FY 2022 SCBGP funding awarded to 55 states, territories and the District of Columbia. The SCBGP funding supports farmers growing specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops. USDA’s support will strengthen U.S. specialty crop production and markets, ensuring an abundant, affordable supply of highly nutritious fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops, which are vital to the health and well-being of all Americans.
The funding for the SCBGP grants is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and FY2022 funding is awarded for a three-year period beginning September 30, 2022. Since 2006, USDA has invested more than $953 million through the SCBGP to fund 11,331 projects that have increased the long-term successes of producers and broadened the market for specialty crops in the U.S. and abroad.
More information about these awards is available on this webpage: 2022 SCBGP Awarded Grants (pdf).
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