The U.S. Department of Agriculture is planning to purchase 1.44 million pounds of U.S. catfish. In order to place a bid for the contract, suppliers must submit bids by 14 September, 2022.
The USDA is buying the domestically-grown catfish for federal food and nutrition programs under the authority of the Build Back Better Initiative.
In its solicitation notice, the USDA said winning bidders must make deliveries of the purchased breaded catfish strips to several U.S. cities between 1 November, 2022, and 31 December, 2023.
The USDA has already awarded USD 10.9 million (EUR 10.9 million) in contracts for raw catfish fillets and breaded catfish strips destined for its child nutrition and other related domestic food assistance programs thus far in 2022.
In May 2022, four U.S. suppliers split a USDA contract for delivery of 1.258 million pounds of catfish, worth nearly USD 11 million (EUR 11 million), to several U.S. cities.
Isola, Mississippi, U.S.A.-based Consolidated Catfish snagged the majority of the contract, selling nearly USD 7.6 million (EUR 7.6 million) worth of product to the U.S. government agency. Itta Bena, Mississippi-based Heartland Catfish will supply just over USD 2 million (EUR 2 million), Itta Bena-based America’s Catch will supply nearly USD 983,000 (EUR 983,304) worth of catfish, Yazoo City, Mississippi-based Simmons Farm Raised Catfish will supply around USD 338,000 (EUR 338,104) of the contracted catfish.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture
