JACKSON — The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is accepting proposals for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, Commissioner Andy Gipson announced.
The program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and authorized by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, aims to enhance the competitiveness of Mississippi’s specialty crop industry.
The grants support efforts to market and promote specialty crops, assist producers with research and development, expand access and availability, and address local, regional and national challenges facing specialty crop producers.
Specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. According to MDAC, specialty crops accounted for more than $201 million of Mississippi’s agriculture industry in 2025.
Past projects funded through the program have included garden grants to increase awareness and consumption of specialty crops among school-aged children; marketing campaigns promoting locally grown products; food safety improvements through Good Agricultural Practices; research into new crop varieties; honey bee colony health initiatives; grower education seminars and trainings; optical imaging technology for sweet potato and blueberry packing lines; and high tunnel research trials for fruits, vegetables and herbs.
Eligible applicants include producer groups and associations, nonprofits, colleges and universities. Funding will not be awarded for projects that solely benefit a single commercial product or provide profit to one organization, institution or individual, though individual entities may participate as project partners.
Applications must be submitted to MDAC by April 1, 2026. Application materials are available in the “Alerts and Announcements” section of mdac.ms.gov, by calling Susan Lawrence at 601-213-7542 or by emailing [email protected]
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