Michigan specialty crop growers who applied before the January 10, 2025 deadline will begin receiving payments through the USDA's Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program. The program, established by the USDA in December 2024, is designed to support growers facing rising input costs and volatile markets. It was initially funded with $2 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation and later expanded to $2.65 billion in January 2025 in response to stakeholder feedback and high demand.
John Walt Boatright, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, described MASC as a targeted initiative to assist growers of commercially marketable specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, and nuts. These growers face numerous challenges, including labor cost increases, market disruptions, and the threat of pests and diseases.
The MASC program allows funding to be used to address such production and market challenges for crops produced for commercial sale in 2025. While the application period has closed, Boatright advised farmers to stay alert for future USDA announcements, as the agency may reopen applications or offer similar assistance programs.
To be eligible for MASC, producers or legal entities must meet specific criteria. Applicants must have had an average adjusted gross income (AGI) of less than $900,000 for the tax years 2021, 2022, and 2023, unless at least 75% of their AGI was derived from farming. They must be engaged in the business of producing specialty crops at the time of application and hold a share in both the ownership and risk of the crops they plan to market in 2025.
Eligible applicants must also be U.S. citizens, resident aliens, legal business entities organized under state law, Indian Tribes or Tribal Organizations, or foreign persons who meet USDA's criteria. In addition, they must comply with conservation compliance rules under the Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation provisions and must not have a controlled substance violation.
Covered crops under the MASC program include fresh and dried fruits, vegetables (including dry edible beans and peas, mushrooms, and vegetable seeds), and tree nuts. A comprehensive list is available on the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service website.
Though the enrollment window is closed, stakeholders are hopeful that similar support will be made available in the future to continue helping growers navigate the economic challenges of specialty crop production in the United States.
Source: Michigan Farm News
