USDA finalizes specialty crop bridge payments

WASHINGTON — Payment rates and the enrollment period for the Assistance for Specialty Crops Farmers program have been set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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.

Producers who have a Login.gov account can access and submit their prefilled application online. Producers who do not have an account or prefer to enroll in person can request their prefilled application at their local Farm Service Agency office.

The ASCF enrollment period closes on Aug. 7.

These payments are authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and are administered by the FSA.

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.

Eligibility

Specialty crop acres of eligible crops reported to FSA as an initial, double crop, repeat crop, or subsequent crop by April 24 will be used to determine ASCF program payments.

Acreage that is reported as a cover crop, prevented planted, or with an intended use of grazing, left standing, green manure, silage, forage, volunteer, or experimental will not be used to determine ASCF program payments.

For a list of eligible specialty crops, visit fsa.usda.gov/ascf. Specialty crops grown in a controlled environment are not eligible, except for mushrooms.

Crop insurance linkage is not required; however, USDA strongly urges producers to take advantage of the new risk management tools provided in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, to best protect against future price risk and volatility.

Payment Calculations

FSA used national average revenue per crop as a metric for developing the ASCF program payment categories and payment rates:

• Tier 1 — $650 per acre: Includes eligible specialty crops with an average annual revenue of more than $10,000 per acre.

• Tier 2 — $225 per acre: Includes eligible specialty crops with an average annual revenue of more than $2,300 per acre and up to $10,000 per acre.

• Tier 3 — $65 per acre: Includes eligible specialty crops with an average annual revenue of up to $2,300 per acre.

• Beans and Peas — $25 per acre: Includes all types of beans and peas that were not eligible for the FBA program.

Payments will be issued as applications are submitted and approved. The ASCF payment limitation is $250,000.

Login.gov

Login.gov is the public’s one account for government. Producers can use one account and password for secure, private access to participating government agencies, including FSA.

To apply for ASCF online, producers can start by visiting fsa.usda.gov/ascf to create their Login.gov account. Producers who have an existing Login.gov account can work with FSA using their existing account.

With a secure Login.gov account, producers can be among the first to apply for ASCF, allowing them to view, complete, certify and submit their application, as well as track their application and payment status.