Washington – The National Potato Council (NPC) welcomed USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s announcement of a new Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops initiative, which, according to a USDA press release, will “provide $2 billion to assist specialty crop growers maintain a strong domestic supply as they are faced with increased production costs and competition that limits their ability to charge higher prices.”
“The U.S. specialty crop sector, including potatoes, has faced a series of unforeseen challenges over the last four years,” said NPC President and Colorado potato grower Bob Mattive. “Today's USDA announcement recognizes these ongoing pressures and offers the opportunity for economic relief to impacted family farms. In making these farms eligible, USDA’s action also acknowledges the importance of the potato industry to the U.S. economy, including the more than 700,000 domestic workers supported throughout the potato supply chain. The relief offered today also highlights the need for the certainty offered by a fully reauthorized five-year Farm Bill, providing long term investments in research, trade, pest and disease exclusion, crop insurance and other vital programs.”
NPC also welcomed the allocation of $72.9 million in grant funding through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to fund innovative projects designed to bolster the competitiveness of the specialty crop sector. Specialty crop exports totaled $24.6 billion in FY2023, representing 13.8 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports.
For more information, visit nationalpotatocouncil.org.