The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on October 13, 2026, that it is awarding US$86.6 million through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) to improve the competitiveness of specialty crops. The Agricultural Marketing Service will fund approximately 609 projects across 56 states and territories.
States and territories will pass the funds on as subawards to projects that support producers of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops. The projects cover food safety, research, new and improved seed and crop varieties, pest and disease control, education on healthy eating, and lower-cost routes to market. Multiple state allocations name nut crops directly: Georgia’s and Texas’s projects include pecans, while Ohio’s projects include nuts.