This bill reauthorizes and provides funding for Department of Agriculture (USDA) research programs for specialty crops (i.e., fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture).
Specifically, the bill increases FY2024-FY2028 funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension activities that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems.
The bill also reauthorizes and provides funding through FY2028 for the Inter-Regional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4 Project). The IR-4 Project conducts the research necessary for obtaining registrations of pest control agents for minor agricultural use and for use on specialty crops. USDA carries out the program in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency, state agricultural experiment stations, colleges and universities, extension services, private industry, and others.
