Indiana FSA State News Bulletin - January 6, 2025
Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops deadline extended to Jan. 10; Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops deadline is Jan. 31
USDA reminds specialty crop producers to apply for assistance for marketing and food safety certification expenses. Specifically, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is providing an additional $650 million in funding for the new Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program and extending the MASC application deadline to Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. Meanwhile, FSA also reminds specialty crop producers of the Jan. 31, 2025, deadline to apply for the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program for 2024 expenses.
With a total of $2.65 billion available, MASC helps specialty crop producers expand markets and manage higher costs. FSA is also increasing the MASC payment limit from $125,000 to $900,000. FSCSC covers a percentage of a specialty crop operation’s cost to obtain or renew its on-farm food safety certification, as well as a portion of related expenses.
Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops
MASC helps specialty crop producers meet higher marketing costs related to:
- Perishability of specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, floriculture, nursery crops and herbs.
- Specialized handling and transport equipment with temperature and humidity control.
- Packaging to prevent damage.
- Moving perishables to market quickly.
- Higher labor costs.
Producers can find more information on eligibility, how payments work and how to apply on the MASC program webpage. Interested producers should apply by Jan. 10 at their local USDA Service Center or online. Although Federal government offices, including FSA, will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, for a National Day of Mourning for President James Earl Carter, Jr., producers can still apply online and will also be able to submit applications in their local FSA office on Friday, Jan. 10.
Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops
Eligible FSCSC applicants must be a specialty crop operation, meet the definition of a small or medium-size business and have paid eligible expenses related to certification.
- A small business has an average annual monetary value of specialty crops sold by the applicant during the three-year period preceding the program year of no more than $500,000.
- A medium size business has an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the three-year period preceding the program year of at least $500,001 but no more than $1,000,000.
Specialty crop operations can receive the following cost assistance:
- Developing a food safety plan for first-time food safety certification.
- Maintaining or updating an existing food safety plan.
- Food safety certification.
- Certification upload fees.
- Microbiological testing for products, soil amendments and water.
- Training
FSCSC payments are calculated separately for each eligible cost category. Details about payment rates and limitations are available at farmers.gov/food-safety.
Producers can visit farmers.gov/food-safety for additional program details, eligibility information and application forms.
More Information
To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.
January 9 - Offices Closed in Observance of a National Day of Mourning for President Carter
January 10 - Application Deadline for Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) Program
January 15 – Final Acreage Reporting Date for Apples
January 20 – Offices Closed in Observance of Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday
January 30 – Final Date to Submit Application for Payment for 2024 Losses under Livestock Forage Program (LFP)
January 30 – Final Date to Submit Application for Payment and Notice of Loss (NOL) for 2024 Losses under Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP).
January 31 – Deadline to Apply for Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) for Unshorn Pelts Produced During the 2024 Crop Year
January 31 – Final Date to Submit Application for 2024 Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) Program
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