The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $1 billion of aid for specialty crop growers through the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program (ASCF). These one-time payments are designed to help producers address market disruptions, elevated input costs, inflation and market losses due to unfair trade practices. Commodity-specific payment rates will be released at the end of March. Timelines for the payments are still under development.
ASCF payments will be based on 2025 reported planted acreage. The Farm Service Agency will use existing data to provide pre-filled Farmer Bridge Assistance program applications to eligible producers. The acreage reports will likely be key, so California avocado growers who have never interacted with their FSA should connect with their local FSA office ASAP to ensure they are in the queue. The deadline for producers to report their acreage to USDA’s Farm Service Agency is March 13.
FSA OFFICES
SAN DIEGO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTIES
RIVERSIDE COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
81-077 INDIO BLVD, SUITE A
INDIO, CA 92201
(760) 347-3675
Amber Infante, County Executive Director
[email protected]
LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTIES
LOS ANGELES COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
44811 DATE AVE
LANCASTER, CA 93534-3136
(661) 945-2604
Evelin Carias, County Executive Director
[email protected]
VENTURA AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
920 E STOWELL RD
SANTA MARIA, CA 93454-7008
(805) 928-9269
Daisy Banda, County Executive Director
[email protected]
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
65 S MAIN ST STE 106
TEMPLETON, CA 93465-8703
(805) 434-0396
Russell Todd, County Executive Director
(805) 536-3177
[email protected]
MONTEREY COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
744 LA GUARDIA ST BLDG A
SALINAS, CA 93905-3354
(831) 424-7377
Michael E Castro, County Executive Director
[email protected]
TULARE COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
3530 W ORCHARD CT
VISALIA, CA 93277-7055
(559) 734-8732
Christopher Rosedale, County Executive Director
[email protected]
FRESNO COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
4625 W JENNIFER AVE STE 109
FRESNO, CA 93722-6424
(559) 276-7494
Garrett Pedretti, County Executive Director
[email protected]
SACRAMENTO COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY
9701 DINO DR STE 190
ELK GROVE, CA 95624-4042
(916) 582-6650
Jesse Simoes, County Executive Director
[email protected]
The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, which the California Avocado Commission participates in, has been advocating for additional aid for this sector of the agricultural industry. SCFBA and CAC will continue to advocate for additional dedicated aid for the specialty crop sector and will provide California avocado growers with additional information as it becomes available.