USDA Provides Some Details on Specialty Crop Assistance
USDA announced last week the Assistance for Specialty Crop Assistance (ASCA) program, but payment rates are not yet known
USDA announced the Assistance for Specialty Crop Assistance (ASCA) program last week.
Growers have until March 13 to update their acres with USDA. These final acres will then determine the payment rate per acre since the program only has $1 billion of funding available.
We are assuming the maximum payment will be $155,000 per person per entity, however, those final details are not available either.
The farmer is not required to sign up for crop insurance.
Here are the crops that will be eligible for the assistance:
A) Almond, Apple, Apricot, Aronia berry, Artichoke, Asparagus, Avocado
(B) Banana, Bean (Snap or green; Lima; Dry edible), Beet (Table), Blackberry, Blueberry, Breadfruit, Broccoli (including Broccoli Raab), Brussels Sprouts
(C) Cabbage (including Chinese), Cacao, Carrot, Cashew, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Cherimoya, Cherry, Chestnut (for Nuts), Chive, Citrus, Coconut, Coffee, Collards (including Kale), Cranberry, Cucumber, Currant
(D) Date, Dry Edible Beans and Peas*
(E) Edamame, Eggplant, Endive
(F) Feijou, Fig, Filbert (Hazelnut)
(G) Garlic, Gooseberry, Grape (including Raisin), Guava
(H) Horseradish
(K) Kiwi, Kohlrabi
(L) Leek, Lettuce, Litchi
(M) Macadamia, Mango, Melon (All Types), Mushroom (Cultivated), Mustard and Other Greens
(N) Nectarine
(O) Okra, Olive, Onion, Opuntia
(P) Papaya, Parsley, Parsnip, Passion Fruit, Pea (Garden; English or Edible Pod; Dry edible), Peach, Pear, Pecan, Pepper, Persimmon, Pineapple, Pistachio, Plum (including Prune), Pomegranate, Potato, Pumpkin
(Q) Quince
(R) Radish (All Types), Raspberry, Rhubarb, Rutabaga
(S) Salsify, Spinach, Squash (Summer and Winter), Strawberry, Suriname Cherry, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potato, Swiss Chard
(T) Taro, Tomato (including Tomatillo), Turnip
(W) Walnut, Watermelon
Here are estimated acres for most of these crops. Some crops have very few acres:
