Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops Payments Announced

USDA announced a second round of payments coming this week for specialty crop producers through the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program, providing up to $1.3 billion in additional program assistance. MASC funds assist specialty crop growers with rising input costs and aid in the expansion of domestic markets. MASC is designed to help specialty crop producers meet higher marketing costs related to crop perishability, specialized handling and transport equipment, packaging, moving perishables to market quickly, and higher labor costs for specialty crops. The MASC application period closed on January 10, 2025.