Arkansas will receive $351,220 from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, so nine specialty crop projects can by developed this year.
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds must be used to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and provides resources to strengthen American agriculture. Nationwide, a total of $72.15 million was awarded for 2018.
“The Arkansas Agriculture Department is pleased to help administer the Specialty Crop Block Grant funds that provide assistance to this important sector of Arkansas’s agriculture industry. These funds will help Arkansas organizations provide needed outreach and promotional efforts for Arkansas specialty crops, fund specialty crop research initiatives, and help create value-added products. We look forward to working with the recipients on these exciting projects that provide economic benefit to producers and our rural communities,” Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward told kark.com.