Hawai’i to receive $618,260 in Federal Specialty Crop Grants

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & BIOSECURITY

ʻOIHANA MAHIʻAI A KIAʻI MEAOLA

SHARON HURD

CHAIRPERSON

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

DEAN M. MATSUKAWA

DEPUTY TO THE CHAIRPERSON

KA HOPE LUNA HOʻOKELE

HAWAI'I TO RECEIVE $618,260 IN FEDERAL SPECIALTY CROP GRANTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 27, 2026

HONOLULU, Hawai'i - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today awarded $618,260 to Hawai'i under the 2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). With this grant, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) will fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop products and create new market opportunities for the state's specialty crop producers.

Specialty crops are defined by the USDA as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). Much of Hawai'i's diversified agriculture falls under this specialty crop designation. Eligible plants must be cultivated or managed and used by people for food, medicinal purposes, and/or aesthetic gratification to be considered specialty crops.

Through the SCBGP, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) will fund up to eight projects to increase the specialty crops of Hawai'i.

"Specialty crops are our agricultural 'bread and butter' in Hawai'i," 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."

"With this year's Specialty Crop Block Grant funding, Hawai'i 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 USDA's efforts to ensure U.S. specialty crop products remain competitive in markets across the nation and abroad."

The funding to Hawai'i is part of a total of $86.6 million in non-competitive FY 2026 SCBGP funding awarded to 54 states, territories, and the District of Columbia.

The funding for the SCBGP grants is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and FY2026 funding is awarded for a three-year period beginning Sept. 30, 2026. Since 2006, USDA has invested more than $1 billion through the SCBGP to fund nearly 12,000 projects that have increased the long-term successes of producers and enhanced marketing opportunities for U.S. specialty crops products.

Applications will be accepted from May 8 to June 8, 2026.