The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity will use federal grants to fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop products and create new market opportunities for the state’s specialty crop producers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $618,260 to Hawaiʻi under the 2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Specialty crops are defined by the USDA as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).
Much of Hawaiʻi’s diversified agriculture falls under this specialty crop designation. Eligible plants must be cultivated or managed and used by people for food, medicinal purposes, or aesthetic gratification to be considered specialty crops.
Through the grant program, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity will fund up to eight projects to increase Hawaiʻi’s specialty crops.
“Specialty crops are our agricultural ‘bread and butter’ in Hawaiʻi,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. “Through the years, this block grant has strengthened the marketability of the state’s many diversified food crops as well as horticultural products.”
The funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill, and the 2026 funding is awarded for a three-year period beginning Sept. 30, 2026.
Since 2006, the USDA has invested more than $1 billion through the program to fund nearly 12,000 projects that have increased the long-term successes of producers and enhanced marketing opportunities for U.S. specialty crop products.
“With this year’s Specialty Crop Block Grant funding, Hawaiʻi is investing in innovative projects that will help address the needs of specialty crop producers within the region,” said USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The funded projects will also further the USDA’s efforts to ensure U.S. specialty crop products remain competitive in markets across the nation and abroad.”
Applications for grant funding will be accepted from May 8 to June 8. More information and applications are available on the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity website.
