Almost $2 million will be invested
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
Fifteen specialty crop projects across Texas will share $1.8 million in funding from the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Distributed by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service, the money will go towards helping promote specialty crops, which include fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, nursery crops, horticulture and floriculture.
“Texas is a leader in the production of many specialty crops, including citrus, onions, watermelons, pecans and grapes,” Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller said. “This round of specialty crop funding will support these growing segments of the Texas agriculture industry and producers across the state through research and promotional activities. The more support we give our Texas farmers, the more we can enjoy locally grown, fresh products.”
Projects were selected based on a specific set of criteria including food safety improvements, development of the specialty crop industry, increases in marketing and promotion of Texas crops, and protection of specialty crops from pests and diseases.
Projects set to receive funding include:
- The Texas Citrus Pest and Disease Management Corporation’s commitment to decreasing the spread of the plant disease known as citrus greening by hiring a consultant to detect early signs of citrus greening.
- The Texas Pecan Growers Association trying to create new markets for locally grown pecans by showcasing them at the Produce Marketing Association’s 2016 Fresh Summit.
- The Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association will provide three educational and outreach workshops about vineyard soil management with the goals of attracting new producers and helping current growers produce more.