Fordyce Outlines Help Available For Specialty Crop Growers

Eligible specialty crop producers now have until August 7th to apply for USDA's Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers program.

“Certainly would urge folks to take a look at login.gov and set up an account,” said Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Richard Fordyce. “If you have an account, you can view and submit your pre-filled applications. They are pre-filled, just like the Farmer Bridge Assistance programs were pre-filled.”

Fordyce noted producers who do not have a login.gov account or who prefer enrollment at their local FSA office can request their pre-filled applications.

“Initially, we had $1 billion set aside. We're actually going to be issuing $1.6 billion,” Fordyce noted.

With a list of eligible specialty crops available on the FSA's Website. As a reminder, specialty crops grown and controlled environments, such as mushrooms, are not eligible. Also found at that web address, payment rates established in tiered metrics.

“Tier 1 includes specialty crops with an average annual revenue of more than $10,000 per acre, and that Tier 1 payment rate is $650 per acre,” Fordyce said.

Two additional tiers for eligible specialty crops include payment rates based on amount of annual average revenue per acre. And Under Secretary Fordyce notes a payment calculation for beans and peas.

“All types of beans and peas that were not eligible for the FBA program are $25 an acre,” he said. “And the reason we went with that is there were some dry beans and peas that were in the Farmer Bridge Assistance and their payment rate was around, some were a little above, some were a little below that $25 per acre rate.”

And the payment limit under the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers program is $250,000.