The United States Department of Agriculture announced the launch of the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program, which provides financial support to specialty crop producers to help them expand or develop markets. Applications for this assistance will be accepted from December 10, 2024, to January 8, 2025. To qualify, producers must be actively engaged in farming specialty crops, such as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and floriculture, among others. The program aims to boost domestic market growth and address the challenges specialty crop producers face due to high costs and lower cash receipts.
Simple Explanation
The government is giving money to people who grow special plants like fruits and vegetables to help them sell their plants in more places. They have until January 8, 2025, to ask for the money, and there are some rules to follow which might be a bit tricky for smaller farmers.