The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service awarded the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity $512,663.87 on September 30, 2025, under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (CFDA 10.170) to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops throughout Hawaii.
The award funds marketing and promotion of specialty crops; research and development assistance to producers; expanded availability and access to specialty crops; and activities addressing local, regional, and national challenges facing specialty crop producers. The state's sub-awards include one food safety project and six multi-focus-area projects targeting kukui nut, breadfruit, taro, sweet potato, and banana production across Hawaii.
Performance runs through September 29, 2028. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program operates on three-calendar-year award cycles and requires recipients expending $750,000 or more in federal awards annually to undergo single or program-specific audit in accordance with 2 CFR 200, Subpart F.