The idaho state department of agriculture will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through leveraging efforts by a variety of projects that market and promote specialty crops, assist…

The Idaho Department of Agriculture received a $2,213,792.33 Specialty Crop Block Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service. The 3-year grant, which runs from September 2024 to September 2027, will be used to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Idaho through a variety of projects. These include efforts to market and promote specialty crops, assist producers with strategic research and development, provide technical education to stakeholders, improve pest and disease control, and enhance environmental sustainability. The grant aims to benefit residents of Idaho through measurable outcomes. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is designed to support state-level initiatives that address regional and national challenges facing specialty crop producers.

The idaho state department of agriculture will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through leveraging efforts by a variety of projects that market and promote specialty crops, assist producers with strategic research and development of specialty crops, provide technical education to specialty crop stakeholders to expand and improve production and distribution, improve pest and disease control processes for specialty crops and improve specialty crop environmental sustainability. Beneficiaries include the residents of the state of idaho. Performance evidence in the form of measurable outcomes is required.