USDA announces Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funding awarded to Louisiana
Photo credit: USDA
For immediate release: October 2, 2025
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has awarded the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) over $386,000 in Fiscal Year 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funding. This USDA grant will enable the LDAF to fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the state and support specialty crop growers through marketing, education, and research initiatives. Specialty crops include "fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture," as defined by the USDA.
LDAF conducted a competitive application process at the beginning of the year, selecting the 2025 recipient projects to include in LDAF's state plan grant application. Individual Louisiana projects that this grant award will fund are as follows:
Reducing Microbial Loads and Maintaining the Quality of Blueberries Through Combined Airborne Ultrasonic and Freezing Technology.
"Ask for Louisiana Strawberries" Influencer Marketing Campaign.
Establishment of a Model Agritourism Setup at the LSU AgCenter Dean Lee Research and Extension Center.
Addressing Fresh Produce Safety Concerns with Non-Thermal Plasma-Activated Water.
Improving Disease Detection, Forecasting, and Developing Best Management Practices to Mitigate Neopestalotiopsis Leaf, Fruit and Crown Disease of Strawberry.
Evaluation of Ginger Family (Ginger, Turmeric, Galangal) Cultivars for Louisiana Horticulture Growers and Nurseries.
“Louisiana boasts one of the most unique and distinctive food cultures in the country, with specialty crops playing a vital role in our agricultural landscape. The Specialty Crop Block Grant funds serve as an excellent tool to enhance the competitiveness of Louisiana's specialty crops through research and development, marketing and promotion, and addressing the challenges faced by our producers,” said LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, DVM. “Through this grant award, we aim to foster innovation and economic growth for our specialty crops while ensuring their ongoing development and success in the state.”
The funding to Louisiana is part of a total $72.9 million in grant funding awarded to 56 states and territories for 586 projects through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). Funded project types include improving the capacity of all entities in the specialty crop distribution chain related to food safety, specialty crop research, developing new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops, pest and disease control; increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops; and improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution systems.
Since 2006, SCBGP has awarded over $1 billion to 13,030 projects. Funding for SCBGP is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill.
LDAF anticipates opening the request for new specialty crop project proposals in January 2026. For more information on the Louisiana Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, call SCBGP director Michelle Estay at 985-345-9483 or email mestay@ldaf.state.la.us