The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), which protects commodities not covered by crop insurance, is being modified to increase access for beginning, limited-resource and other producers who do not have risk protection from the federally subsidized insurance program, said the USDA. Many of those producers grow fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the changes during a speech at the National Farmers Union convention. “With these changes, more farmers can enter the specialty-crop marketplace with peace of mind that they have risk protection should disaster strike,” he said. NAP provides aid when natural disasters result in lower yields, crop losses or prevent the planting of crops.
The USDA also announced the availability of $96.8 million in grants “to fund innovative projects designed to support specialty-crop producers, local-food entrepreneurs, and farm-to-school efforts, which in turn will increase access to healthy, nutritious food for American families and children.” The funding includes $63.2 million through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program for states to split among applicants; $26.6 million through the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program; $6 million for Farm-to-School Program grants; and $1 million in matching funds through the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program for research on marketing, transporting and distributing agricultural products.