usda ams specialty crops program

The AMS Transportation and Marketing Program’s Grants Division (Grants Division) oversees 10 grant programs, including the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). Individual project award funding requests require a minimum request of $20,000 up to a maximum of $100,000. Congress established SCBGP in the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (Act) and amended the program in the 2014 Farm Bill.  The Act authorized AMS to award block grants to the States each fiscal year in order to carry out projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.  In practice, the term “specialty crops” is generally used to describe all crops except those commodities that receive direct income support under the Farm Bill.5 The Act defines specialty crops as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture).”  Specialty crops account for roughly one-third of annual U.S. farm crop sales. The new program is an audit based GroupGAP certification program … Project Types Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Producers of specialty crops are eligible for CFAP payments for … To date, The USDA has received $7 million in loan funding and continues the development of the application. Agencies submit IT-related project proposals for the Board to review and consider through a two-phased approval process. Background/Overview. Currently, USDA AMS’s billing, inspection and certificate generation and issuance processes are managed through a combination of manual, paper-based processes and legacy information technology systems that are outdated and difficult to maintain. The audit shall include verification of the company’s farm(s), packing facilities, storage facilities, wholesale distribution centers or other locations as applicable to the audit scope(s). This occurred because the two States did not have any policies or procedures in place to perform risk assessments and conduct reviews.  In addition,the two States had limited resources and elected not to use administrative funds to conduct the necessary monitoring. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The Grants Division conducts onsite reviews of all States on a periodic basis and provides recommendations in onsite review reports to improve the implementation of SCBGP.  During these reviews, the Grants Division reviews grant documentation, performs interviews with State officials, and provides technical assistance to ensure compliance with the grant agreements between AMS and the State.  AMS performs these reviews to:  (1) enhance the performance of the recipient and grant program; (2) identify effective practices and outstanding program outcomes; (3) facilitate decision making by parties responsible for overseeing or initiating corrective action; (4) improve public accountability; and (5) prepare State officials for potential future audits. An official website of the United States government. WHAT OIG FOUND In Vermont, the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) administers these funds to enhance the competitiveness of Vermont and regionally grown specialty crops. The mission of the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is to facilitate the strategic marketing of the Nation’s agricultural products in domestic and international markets.  AMS conducts its mission while ensuring fair trading practices and promoting a competitive and efficient marketplace to benefit producers, traders, and consumers of U.S. food and fiber products.  AMS works with a variety of organizations to support rural America and the Nation’s agricultural sector by administering programs that improve domestic and international marketing opportunities. Territories. The agency has made significant progress in research and development of innovative risk management products for producers of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and … The purpose of the SCBGP is to provide funding for projects that solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. The 2018 Farm Bill provided some new requirements for RMA’s Specialty Crops program. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) administers programs that create domestic and international marketing opportunities for U.S. producers of food, fiber, and specialty crops. Section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. §1621 note) and amended under section 10010 of the Agricultural Act of 2014, Public Law 113-79 (the Farm Bill) defines specialty crops as economic data users, the 2017 data for specialty crops are published at the U.S. and State-level. In practice, the term “specialty crops” is generally used to describe all crops except those commodities that receive direct income support under the Farm Bill.5 The Act defines specialty crops as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture … The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) awards Specialty Crop Block Grants to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. The Agriculture Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to partner with state departments of agriculture to enhance the competitiveness of growers of fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural crops in areas such as marketing, The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems. ). United States Department of Agriculture AMS/Specialty Crops Program Hemp Branch 407 L’Enfant Plaza SW P.O. To date, the TMF has received $175 million from Congress to fund modernization projects. A lock ( Official websites use .gov The TMF was authorized by the Modernizing Government Technology Act of 2017 and is overseen by the Technology Modernization Board, comprised of government IT leaders representing proven expertise in technology, transformation and operations. Modernization of this system is required to ensure that perishable agricultural items are more efficiently moved through the inspection process ensuring the end consumer enjoys the freshest commodities possible. The convention offers a variety of topics, including vegetable production, small fruit production, and marketing designed to be of interest to large and small growers. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that AMS awarded and disbursed SCBGP funds to the States, as required, to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.  However, we found that both AMS and the States need to improve their processes used to monitor the grants.  First, we found that AMS did not effectively oversee the States to ensure funds were expended in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.  This occurred because AMS relied on the States to use their individual policies and procedures to identify grant issues instead of providing additional comprehensive Federal oversight.  We also found that two of the three States in our sample did not adequately monitor SCBGP projects.  Specifically, we found the two States did not perform risk assessments nor conduct reviews of the 20 projects in our sample. However, with the support from the TMF, the project can be conducted as a single effort and be completed by FY 2022. Calculating the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments for specialty crops can be relatively easy when using the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Services Agency (FSA) calculator, and when you know the basics of the program. USDA received an award for TMF loan funds of $8 million to supplement USDA funds and accelerate the build of the SCION application. AMS administers programs that facilitate the efficient, fair marketing of U.S. agricultural products, including specialty crops. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. States are responsible for ensuring the subrecipients are meeting measurable outcomes and/or performance goals and are using the Federal funds as intended.  The States establish a monitoring process aligned with the applicable regulations to ensure subrecipients meet the post-award requirements.  These monitoring efforts include reviewing subrecipients’ advance and reimbursement requests and establishing a formal risk-based systematic approach for monitoring projects noted in their State Plan, which includes site visits and/or desk reviews.  For each project, the States are required to conduct a risk assessment to determine the risk of subrecipient noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the grant. 1. Box 23192 Washington, DC 20026 Submitted electronically via eRulemaking Portal RE: Interim Final Rule, Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program Published October 31, 2019 To Whom It May Concern: Specialty Crops Program. This program addresses both domestic and international supply, demand, and prices; and the myriad of factors that impact performance of specialty crop markets. Specialty Crops Program AMS, USDA 1400 Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237 Washington, DC 20250-0237 RE: Doc. On December 21, 2004, the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. State Oversight TDA encourages organizations to develop projects to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops pertaining to the following issues affecting the industry: The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is an innovative funding vehicle that gives agencies additional ways to deliver services to the American public more quickly, provide better security of sensitive systems and data, and use taxpayer dollars more efficiently. aimage ©123RF.com. Specialty Crops Program Main line: (202) 720-4722 FVInfo@usda.gov Program and Division Services Contacts AMS Specialty Crops Program Office of the Deputy Administrator www.ams.usda.gov/fv USDA AMS Specialty Crops Program (SCP) provides customized solutions to enhance the competitive, efficient, and transparent marketing of all specialty crops. In response, RMA has set a priority to seek new ways to provide risk management tools for specialty crops. An official website of the United States government. USDA AMS awards Specialty Crops Integrated Operating Network (SCION) Support task. These speciality crops are used in programs including domestic feeding programs, like school lunches, and military combat rations. USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) for Specialty Crop Farmers.  For fiscal years (FY) 2014 through 2017, SCBGP provided over $250 million in funds to over 2,900 projects. AMS agreed with our recommendations, and we accepted management decision on the four recommendations. Approved projects receive incremental funding and technical expertise to ensure project success. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crops Program helps buyers and sellers of all sizes in the U.S. produce industry to market their perishable products in the most efficient manner. THE USDA SPECIALTY CROP COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM. Specialty crops are defined as: fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, Christmas trees, turfgrass/sod, nursery and greenhouse crops, including floriculture. This report contains sensitive information that has been redacted for public release because it contains content that has been deemed privileged. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) administer the program. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. However, modernization takes funding and time - this is where the Technology Transformation Fund comes into play. A lock ( LockA locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. In addition, AMS will allocate the remainder of the grant funds based on the value of specialty crop production in each state in relation to the national value of specialty crop production using the latest available cash receipt data. States are responsible for developing proposals and overseeing SCBGP-funded projects.  This oversight includes ensuring that subrecipients maintain appropriate records and follow all applicable Federal statutes and regulations, as well as the grant agreement and the terms and conditions of award.  States are required to use a competitive review process for selecting projects to participate in SCBGP.  After approving the projects, each State develops a State Plan that outlines how it will utilize the SCBGP funds.  This plan includes all approved projects; each project’s purpose, impact, and expected measurable outcomes; and budget details.  AMS approves the State Plan and then awards the block grant to the States.  Those States will offer portions of the block grant (“subawards”) to the subrecipients included in the State Plan.  The subrecipient and the State will sign a subaward agreement. 2021 USDA/AMS (Agricultural Marketing Service) Specialty Crop Block Program grant (SCBGP). January 14 – The Specialty Crops Coordinator and St. Paul Specialty Crop Liaison will speak at the Minnesota Fruit & Vegetable Convention. Agricultural Marketing Service Controls Over the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, AMS Oversight of the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program, AMS Storage and Handling of Commodities for International Food Assistance Programs, Controls Over Inspection of Exported Grain, AMS Commodity Purchases for International Food Assistance, National Organic Program - International Trade Arrangements and Agreements. The Act authorized AMS to award block grants to the States each fiscal year in order to carry out projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. The purpose of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. We identified and evaluated AMS’ management controls over SCBGP. Awarded projects will have up to three years to complete the requirements of the grant. OPEN: received by TDA before close of business (5:00 p.m. CT) on Thursday, February 11, 2021 Program Purpose The sole purpose of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. USDA AMS Specialty Crops Program (SCP) Webinar Question (Q) and Answer (A) Session for Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption, i.e., the Produce Safety Rule; Session number: 665435632; Date: Thursday, April 21, 2016; 2:00-3:00 pm. USDA has six such programs in the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), the Agricultural Research USDA, AMS, FV, Specialty Crops Inspection Division – Fresh FV Audit Program s Website Posting of Companies with Acceptable Audits You can export the report by selecting a format and then clicking on “Export” (see screen shots in Section A. AMS also provides the agriculture industry with valuable services to ensure the quality and availability of wholesome food for consumers across the country. USDA's AMS Specialty Crops Program (SCP) adapts its operating methods to overcome challenges COVID-19 places in the path of the agricultural industry. No. There are no extensions. The program offers a wide array of services that span from helping market the quality of products to ensuring that there is fair trade in the produce industry. AMS’ certification, auditing, inspection, and laboratory analysis have proven to be effective tools used by the U.S. specialty … OBJECTIVE Part 1291. An application that would also enable AMS Specialty Crops inspectors and other users to comprehensively and securely gather and store field evaluation data, interface with internal and external business applications, and process customer order and billing information. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The program offers a wide array of services that span from helping market the quality of products to ensuring that there is fair trade in the produce industry. Official websites use .gov Our objectives were to identify and evaluate AMS’ management controls over SCBGP.  Specifically, we evaluated the processes used by AMS to award and disburse grant funds to the States as well as AMS’ and States’ processes used to monitor the grants. July 18, 2019 July 18, 2019 Awards. The AMS Specialty Crops Program helps buyers and sellers of all sizes in the U.S. produce industry to market their perishable products in the most efficient manner. Pennsylvania Departmen… The SCION application will replace two aging legacy systems and provide a modernized holistic tool to manage business operations and provide an excellent user experience for both external and internal users. July 18, 2019 July 18, 2019 | Awards.  These projects include a range of initiatives that support specialty crops, including market promotion, plant pest and disease prevention, and food safety enhancement. Specialty Crops are broadly defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and horticulture products, including floriculture. Each state that submits an application is reviewed and approved by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is to receive at least an amount that is equal to the higher of $100,000, or 1/3 of 1 percent of the total amount of funding made available for the fiscal year. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crops Program helps buyers and sellers of all sizes in the U.S. produce industry to market their perishable products in the most efficient manner. The Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program provides funding to eligible U.S. organizations for projects that address sanitary, phytosanitary and technical barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S. specialty crops. Due to funding, USDA would need to complete this project gradually over a period of five years. The application deadline for these grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is May 3, 2021. In order to remedy the inefficiencies of the billing, inspection, and certification process, the USDA was in need of an application that would have a modern, holistic system for its billing, inspection and certificate generation and issuance processes. TMF loan funds will enable a modernized system to support business operations that result in fresh and processed fruit and vegetable items for America’s domestic feeding programs, including school lunches. The purpose of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is to award funds to projects which enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. The inefficiencies of the billing, inspection and certification process cause substantial delays within the program, which are significant when dealing with perishable items. Federal Oversight Secure .gov websites use HTTPS programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that accelerate the development and use of automation or mechanization in the production or processing of specialty crops. Agricultural Marketing Service Specialty Crops System Modernization. The mission of the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is to facilitate the strategic marketing of the Nation’s agricultural products in domestic and international markets.  AMS works with a variety of organizations to support rural America and the Nation’s agricultural sector by administering programs that improve domestic and international marketing opportunities, including the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). AMS issued its first Market News report in 1915. The USDA AMS Specialty Crops Program is excited to be in the middle of the second of three phases to build the Specialty Crops Integrated Operating Network (SCION), which will replace the Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) Division’s aging legacy systems, including FEIRS and BIIS. hereinafter referred to as the applicant, do hereby agree to be audited under a voluntary USDA, AMS, Specialty Crops Inspection Division audit program. As part of the State’s post-award process, a State is required to make payments to a subrecipient within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing for expenses incurred for the operation of the project.  Subrecipients request payments at least quarterly but no more than monthly.  The payments are made to the subrecipient after the State reviews the invoice to ensure the costs are allowable, reasonable, and necessary. The AMS Specialty Crops Program helps buyers and sellers of all sizes in the U.S. produce industry to market their perishable products in the most efficient manner. Today, Specialty Crops Market News disseminates detailed information on marketing conditions for hundreds of agricultural commodities at major domestic and international wholesale markets, production areas, and ports of entry. The Grants Division is responsible for the oversight and administration of SCBGP.  Currently, AMS has six staff, primarily located in Washington, D.C., who are responsible for administering SCBGP.  The Grants Division staff prepares the requests for application (RFA), awards grants, provides guidance and technical assistance to States, monitors States’ performance and financial progress, and performs onsite reviews of the States’ management process of the grant program.  The Grants Division and State must both follow the provisions of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) “Guidance for Grants and Agreements,” as well as the SCBGP regulations contained in Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Â. The added operational benefits include increased efficiency and improved customer service. Since 2006, these grants have launched over 107 GAP and Good Handling Practices (GHP) outreach and training projects, and funded 116 GAP/GHP cost share projects through State departments of … Our Mission. FSA is accepting applications for CFAP from May 26, 2020, to September 11, 2020. Who is Eligible? 1621 note) authorized the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide grants to State departments of agriculture solely to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Agricultural Marketing Service . ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Presidential & Congressional Commissions, Boards or Small Agencies, Identity, Credentials, and Access Management. Please see the specific listing of eligible crops on the USDA/AMS website located at www.ams.usda… As we embrace the promise the year 2021 brings, SCP is stepping up in a variety of ways, including: The publication of the Final Rule for the Domestic Production of Hemp culminates work initiated following the Dec 2018 Farm Bill. Grants & Opportunities. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) offers Specialty Crop Block Grants (SCBG) to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops which includes supporting GAP certification audits. Lists of eligible and ineligible crops may be found on the USDA-AMS website. Goals / Objectives The ERS Specialty Crops program has responsibility for monitoring current market conditions and analyzing major issues that impact fruit, nuts, vegetables, dry pulse crops, and sugar and sweeteners. The USDA’s (United States Department of Agriculture) Agricultural Marketing Services (AMS) specialty crops program recently announced the expansion of its Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Audit Program.