Executive Office Of The Government Of The US Virgin Islands

The Executive Office of the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, operating as the Department of Agriculture, is a U.S. territorial government entity serving as the primary recipient of federal agricultural, forestry, and food-distribution grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and subordinate agencies. The entity functions as a grant recipient (97% of awards), not a federal contractor, and operates under the parent structure of the Government of the Virgin Islands. Federal funding flows to support territorial agricultural extension, animal and plant health surveillance, forest stewardship, specialty-crop marketing, and food-assistance administration across the three islands (St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas).

Activity spans forestry, animal health, and food-distribution programs. The Department of Agriculture received $7.713 million under the Inflation Reduction Act Forest Legacy Program (CFDA 10.734) awarded June 16, 2025, to fund cost-share payments to non-industrial forest landowners implementing recommended forest management practices, with completion targeted for December 31, 2029. A $3 million Inflation Reduction Act Landscape Scale Restoration grant (CFDA 10.731) also from June 2025 supports cost-share payments for forest stewardship program participation. The Department holds a $246.9 thousand Specialty Crop Block Grant Program award (CFDA 10.170) from the Agricultural Marketing Service, running through September 29, 2028, funding research and education projects to enhance cucumber, tomato, and inkberry competitiveness across the territory. Recurring cooperative agreements with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) address tropical bont tick surveillance and eradication, animal disease traceability, and animal health national surveillance—spanning cattle, sheep, goats, horses, avian, and swine populations. The recipient carries out these activities benefitting approximately 87,000 USVI consumers and supporting at least 42 cattle producers, 115 sheep producers, 106 goat producers, 94 poultry producers, and 40 swine producers. Food Distribution Division grants support the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CAP) through recurring formula and project awards for senior meals, food expenses, and market administration.

Customer concentration is heavily concentrated among USDA agencies. The International Institute of Tropical Forestry Jardin Botanico Sur (under Forest Service) issued 47 awards; APHIS issued 37 awards; the Food and Nutrition Service issued 28 awards; the Forest Service issued 25 awards; and the Agricultural Marketing Service issued 15 awards, collectively accounting for 85% of the 178 total awards in the source portfolio. Combined obligated dollars across all awards reach $28 million. Activity has remained relatively steady, with 12 awards in 2022, 14 in 2023, 17 in 2024, and 14 in 2025; only 3 awards appear in 2026 to date. Within the next twenty-four months, 13 awards reach ultimate completion, presenting recompete points for both the Department and federal agencies evaluating continuation or modification of territorial agricultural capacity.

The Department operates as a sub-recipient in a small number of cases, receiving pass-through funding from the parent Government of the Virgin Islands for infrastructure projects including the Forestry Building (February 2024) and quarantine, pig, and chicken coop facilities (February 2024 and March 2024). All federal prime awards are structured as grants and cooperative agreements—no contract vehicles, IDIQs, or schedule positions appear in the source. Work is performed territorially across the U.S. Virgin Islands with administrative oversight at the Department headquarters in Kingshill, St. Croix.