The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of approximately $7 million in competitive grant funds to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through collaborative, multi-state projects that address the following regional or national level specialty crop issues:

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food safety; plant pests and disease; research; crop-specific common issues; and marketing and promotion.

Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.

States are encouraged to submit projects that bring together multi-state teams of partners to research and develop solutions to practical problems that cross state boundaries and address the needs of specialty crop growers.

Applications are due October 24, 201 7.