USDA unveils $1.625B relief program for specialty crop farmers

USDA has announced the new Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program, providing approximately $1.625 billion in one-time payments to specialty crop producers across the country. The program is intended to help growers offset rising production costs and market disruptions resulting from foreign trade challenges and ongoing economic pressures.

The ASCF Program covers a broad range of specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, berries, grapes, mushrooms, floriculture products and other specialty commodities. Payment rates will vary by crop category:

• Tier 1 crops: $650 per acre
• Tier 2 crops: $225 per acre
• Tier 3 crops: $65 per acre
• Eligible beans and peas: $25 per acre

Thousands of specialty crop producers nationwide may qualify for assistance, with eligible crops including blueberries, onions, strawberries, peaches, watermelons, cucumbers, squash, sweet potatoes, pecans, apples, cherries, almonds, grapes, and numerous vegetable and horticultural crops. Payment amounts will be based on eligible 2025 planted acreage reported to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA).

The California Walnut Commission expressed appreciation to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff for announcing payment rates and the enrollment period for the Assistance for Specialty Crops Farmers (ASCF) program.

In response to elevated input costs and market disruptions affecting specialty crop exports, USDA will issue $1.625 billion in payments to eligible specialty crop producers. Eligible walnut growers may receive payments of $225 per acre based on their 2025 crop acreage reports. The funding is intended to help walnut growers, including many multigenerational family farming operations, offset production costs and market disruptions tied to tariffs in key export markets.

“Walnut growers are in full swing nurturing this year’s crop, which just finished the bloom and nut set start of the crop year”, said Bill Carriere, vice chairman of the California Walnut Commission. “This additional financial support will be utilized to lower input costs and improve our competitiveness abroad.”

The commission thanks Secretary Rollins and USDA for their continued support of specialty crop producers, including California walnut growers, and efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of American agriculture at home and abroad.

To be eligible for the program, producers must:

• Have planted eligible specialty crops during the 2025 crop year.
• Have filed acreage reports (Form FSA-578) with FSA by April 24, 2026.
• Submit an ASCF application (Form CCC-556) by August 7, 2026.

Applications will be available beginning June 1, 2026, through USDA’s online application portal. County FSA offices will begin accepting applications on June 8, 2026. USDA has indicated that payments will begin shortly after applications are approved.

Payments are capped at $250,000 per person or legal entity, and applicants must meet USDA eligibility requirements, including adjusted gross income limitations.

Specialty crop producers are encouraged to review their acreage reporting records and contact their local FSA office to confirm eligibility and application requirements. Additional information, including program details and application materials, is available at www.fsa.usda.gov/ascf.