Sponsors (7)
Provides federal grants and accountability to boost specialty crop marketing and cooperative promotion, but increases federal spending and includes eligibility and matching rules plus administrative uses that may limit participation and reduce award dollars.
Specialty crop producers, cooperative groups, and nonprofit trade associations gain access to federal grants to expand domestic and collective marketing, which can increase U.S. sales and farm income.
Taxpayers and state governments benefit from required monitoring, audits, and annual reviews that improve accountability and help ensure federal funds are used effectively.
Small farmers and small organizations face a 25% minimum matching-fund requirement that may block or deter lower-resourced applicants from receiving grants.
Farmers, nonprofits, and prospective applicants may see fewer grant dollars available if the Secretary uses part of the authorized funds for program administration instead of awards.
U.S. taxpayers bear an estimated $75 million per year in new federal spending to fund the program, which could require tradeoffs with other budget priorities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a USDA grant program to promote domestic markets for U.S. specialty crops and authorizes $75M/year starting FY2026.
Official title: To amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program under which the Secretary will award grants to eligible organizations to encourage the development, maintenance, and expansion of commercial domestic market for domestically produced specialty crop commodities.
Introduced August 26, 2025 by David G. Valadao · Last progress August 26, 2025
Creates a new USDA grant program to help expand domestic markets for U.S.-produced specialty crops. The Agricultural Marketing Service will award competitive grants to eligible organizations for market development, require matching funds (generally 25%), limit allowable uses and recipients, and authorize $75 million per year beginning FY2026 for the program and related administrative costs. Grants may be multi-year with annual reviews, are subject to monitoring, audits, and termination for noncompliance, and the Secretary must begin monitoring and evaluating program spending and effectiveness within 15 months after the first grant award.