USDA Announces Payment Rates and Enrollment Period for Specialty Crop Farmers

USDA has announced payment rates and the enrollment period for the Assistance for Specialty Crops Farmers program. USDA will issue $1.625 billion in payments to eligible specialty crop producers in response to elevated input costs and market disruptions resulting from foreign competitors engaging in unfair trade practices that impeded specialty crop exports. Specialty crop payments are intended to provide financial support to allow producers to pay for production and marketing inputs in the face of significant market disruptions during the 2025 growing season. Producers who have a Login.gov account can access and submit their pre-filled application starting June 1, 2026. Producers who do not have a Login.gov account or prefer to enroll in person at their local Farm Service Agency office can request their prefilled application beginning June 8, 2026. The ASCF enrollment period closes August 7, 2026, and the program’s payment limitation is $250,000. Payments are divided into tiers based on crop value, and payments range from $25 to $650 per acre.