Marketing Assistance Specialty Crops Program Application Deadline January 8
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency’s Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops program is accepting applications through January 8, 2025. The program which has $2 billion in funds available, is intended to help specialty crop producers manage higher marketing costs related to various matters, such as higher labor costs, packaging to prevent damage, specialized handling and transportation costs, and the perishability of fruits. Payments will be made after the application period closes.
To be eligible for MASC, a producer must currently be in business, maintain an ownership share and share in the risk of producing a specialty crop that will be sold in 2025. MASC helps specialty crop producers fund higher marketing costs associated with the perishable nature of their crops, specialized handling/transport, packaging, the need to move to market quickly and the higher labor costs.
Interested applicants can watch a recording of an informational MASC briefing for more information. A MASC fact sheet also is available online.
Application forms are available online. Applicants must submit the following (growers already may have some of these forms on file):
- Form FSA-1140 — Application and Instructions
- Form FSA-1141 — MASC New Producer Expected Sales Worksheet and Instructions
- Form AD-2047 — Customer Data Worksheet
- Form CCC-941 — Average Adjusted Gross Income Certification and Consent to Disclosure of Tax Information
- Form CCC-942 — Certification of Income from Farming, Ranching and Forestry Operations (if applicable)
- Form AD-1026 — Highly Erodable Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation
- Producers must certify their specialty crop sales for calendar year 2023 or 2024.
Applicants can submit the forms to their local FSA office and are encouraged to contact their FSA office with any questions they may have.
