Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that the USDA plans to provide up to $200 million in assistance for specialty crop producers for food safety expenses.
The funds would help growers who incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses to obtain or renew a food safety certification in calendar years 2022 or 2023, according to a news release.
“The ongoing economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic have created substantial financial challenges for small and very small producers to meet regulatory requirements and access additional markets,” Vilsack said in the release. “These challenges were particularly acute for specialty crop producers, many of whom needed to pivot their operations quickly and completely as demand shifted away from traditional markets, like restaurants and food service. As we build back better, our food systems must be both more inclusive and more competitive. By helping mitigate the costs of on-farm food safety certification, the FSCSC program will support fair, transparent food systems rooted in local and regional production and provide small-scale producers a real opportunity to bring home a greater share of the food dollar and help create jobs.”
USDA’s new Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops program will help to offset costs for specialty crop producers to comply with regulatory requirements and market-driven food safety certification requirements, which is part of USDA’s broader effort to transform the food system to create a more level playing field for small and medium producers and a more balanced, equitable economy for everyone working in food and agriculture, the release said.
Industry reaction
Jennifer McEntire, chief food safety and regulatory officer for the International Fresh Produce Association, said the group is still reviewing the details of this program.
“It’s always great to see federal support for growers food safety efforts,” McEntire said in an e-mail. “We want to better understand the business sizes that are eligible, and will work with our members, those in extension, and other stakeholders to ensure that this funding is used in a way that has the greatest impact on food safety and public health.”
Program details
Effective June 27, specialty crop operations can apply for assistance for eligible expenses related to a 2022 food safety certificate issued on or after June 21.
The USDA said it is delivering the program to provide critical assistance for specialty crop operations, with an emphasis on equity in program delivery while building on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions.
To be eligible for the program, the applicant must be a specialty crop operation, must meet the definition of a small business or very small business, and have paid eligible expenses related to the 2022 (issued on or after June 21) or 2023 certification, the release said.
The release said specialty crop operations may receive assistance for the following costs:
- Developing a food safety plan for first-time food safety certification;
- Maintaining or updating an existing food safety plan;
- Food safety certification;
- Certification upload fees;
- Microbiological testing for products, soil amendments and water; and
- Training
Program payments are calculated separately for each category of eligible costs. A higher payment rate has been set for socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers. Details about the payment rates and limitations can be found at farmers.gov/food-safety.
