LANSING, Mich. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a second round of payments for specialty crop producers under the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops, or MASC, program.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the additional $1.3 billion in support comes after a full review of program alignment with federal priorities. The USDA has already distributed just under $900 million in initial MASC payments.
MASC was first introduced in December 2024 to help producers offset higher marketing and distribution costs for specialty crops. Funding was later expanded to $2.65 billion following strong demand.
For more information, visit USDA.gov.