Specialty Crops Program

The AMS Specialty Crops Program (SCP) helps buyers and sellers in the U.S. produce industry efficiently market their perishable products. We partner with State agencies, associations, and industry to support growers, shippers, brokers, receivers, processors, retailers and restaurants, direct to consumer sales, and the foodservice industry. What is a Specialty Crop?

What We Do

• Market Reporting – Our Market News Division provides unbiased price and volume information for hundreds of specialty crops
• Market Development – Our Market Development Division oversees Specialty Crops Marketing Orders & Agreements and Research and Promotion Programs, which are industry-led marketing programs 
• Inspection, Grading & Auditing Services – Our Specialty Crops Inspection Division provides voluntary inspection, auditing, and grading services on a fee-for-service (“user fee”) basis to help producers market their products. SC Inspection Division Factsheet (pdf)
• Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) – We help to protect businesses dealing in fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables through PACA and by establishing and enforcing a code of fair business practices and by helping companies resolve business disputes.
• Import Oversight Inspections – We inspect imported products to make sure they meet the same or comparable grade, size, quality and maturity standards as domestic products covered by Federal marketing orders
• Hemp Program – We administer the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program to support hemp producers and to protect the market 
• Standards Development – To support the services above, we develop and maintain quality standards for fruits; flowers and plants; vegetables; nuts; specialty products; and Commercial Item Descriptions (CIDs) to facilitate the orderly marketing of products and develop purchase specifications for USDA Foods and commodity procurement activities. 
• Selling Food to USDA – We support the purchase of domestically produced and processed food that is delivered to schools, food banks, and households in communities across the country.

Specialty Crops Program News

• Access Recent Notices to Trade 
• Sign up to subscribe to the Specialty Crops Program Newsletter 

Contact Information

Specialty Crops Program
USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Room 1575-South, Stop 0235
Washington, D.C. 20250-0235