Grants Totaling $36.5 Million Awarded for Specialty Crop Research And Extension Investments
August 5, 2016 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced 19 grants totaling $36.5 million for research and Extension to support American farmers growing fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops including floriculture. The grants are funded through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Specialty Crop Research Initiative, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.
“America’s specialty crop farmers face many challenges ranging from a changing climate to increasing production costs. Investing in cutting-edge research helps uncover solutions to keep their operations viable and ensures Americans have access to safe, affordable and diverse food options,” Vilsack said. “The universities, state departments of agriculture, and trade associations that partner with USDA address challenges at the national and local levels to help sustain all parts of America’s food and agriculture system, whether the farms are small or large, conventional or organic.”
USDA’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) develops and disseminates science-based tools to address the needs of specific crops. The funded projects address research and Extension needs that span the entire spectrum of specialty crops production from researching plant genetics to improving crop characteristics; identifying and addressing threats from pests and diseases; improving production and profitability; developing new production innovations and technologies; and developing methods to respond to food safety hazards.
Grants, by state, include:
- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff, AK, $50,000
- The American Olive Oil Producers Association, Clovis, CA, $50,000
- Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, IL, $3,694,012
- Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, $3,673,611
- Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD, $3,683,590
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, $1,467,724
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, $48,558
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, $ 3,717,519
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, $ 3,276,666
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, $46,956
- Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, $ 2,849,975
- Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, $50,000
- New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, $ 4,404,284
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, $ 4,281,618
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, $ 2,019,142
- Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, $35,240
- Ohio State University, Columbus, Oh, $33,744
- Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, $3,112,410
- Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX, $35,418
Abstracts for this year’s funded projects can be viewed on .
Scientists at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, MD, will use one of these grants to develop new mechanisms to improve food safety and prevent pathogen contamination of fresh and fresh-cut produce at retail. USDA consistently conducts and funds food safety research to generate real-world results for both government and the private sector. Read more about how USDA’s food safety improvements over the past seven years are leading to a safer food supply at www.medium.com/usda-results.
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