More than $4 million will aid 20 projects across the state with the sole focus of raising the competitiveness of specialty crops grown in Washington.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) received approximately $4.6 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund projects with awards ranging from $54,000 to $250,000 to non-profits, government organizations, universities and community colleges, and agricultural commissions. Specialty Crops are fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture. WSDA has already selected the projects through a competitive two-phase process with Phase I focusing on the concept behind the project and Phase II expanding on the project with much more detail.
The projects include efforts to address local and international marketing for Washington specialty crops, studying parasitoids with the ability to infest and kill the apple maggot and snowberry flies, removing trees infected with little cherry disease and X-disease, launching and marketing cherries in India, and refining mechanical-assisted harvest technologies.
View the full list of funded projects for 2021 on the WSDA website.
“The projects funded through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant range from studies on pest control, sanitation, marketing dollars, and many other projects. The variety speaks to the multitude of ways participants can aid in furthering the competitiveness of Washington’s specialty crops,” program manager Leisa Schumaker said.
For more information:
Washington State Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Building
P.O. Box 42560
1111 Washington ST SE
Olympia, WA 98504-2560