Federal Grant Award Summary

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture received a $363,533.85 block grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (CFDA 10.170) to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops throughout Arkansas. The three-year award, effective September 30, 2025, through September 29, 2028, supports the Department's efforts to market and promote specialty crops, assist producers with research and development initiatives, expand crop availability and access, and address industry-specific challenges. The grant funding supports six sub-awards encompassing three research projects, one education and outreach initiative, and two marketing projects focused on specialty crops including pecans, blackberries, muscadine grapes, and strawberries.

Through these coordinated sub-awards, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture will deliver products and services designed to strengthen the state's specialty crop sector by facilitating knowledge transfer to producers, conducting applied research to improve crop competitiveness, and implementing strategic marketing and promotion activities. The program structure leverages partnerships with sub-awardees to execute targeted initiatives that address both local and regional challenges confronting specialty crop producers, ultimately supporting increased production efficiency, market access, and profitability within Arkansas's specialty crop industries.