The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is purchasing up to USD 25 million (EUR 25.1 million) of Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic wild shrimp, U.S. Representative Garret Graves (R-Louisiana) said in a press release.
Graves said the move will provide relief to Louisiana’s shrimp industry, which has faced several recent hardships: Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters, repeated openings of the Bonnet Carre Spillway, unfair trade practices, illegal dumping of chemicals, inflation, higher fuel prices, and supply-chain issues.
“We are not giving up on Louisiana’s seafood industry – the largest supplier in the country and the economic engine of many areas along our coast,” Graves said. “We are working from every angle to bring them more relief while also working to reform the ridiculous fisheries disaster process.”
The shrimp purchase will also give schools, food banks, and disaster-stricken areas access to a sustainable and nutritious source of protein, Graves said.
When completed, this will mark the third straight year that the USDA has made significant purchases of domestic shrimp, the Southern Shrimp Alliance said in a press release.
“Shrimpers from Texas to North Carolina are confronting unprecedented challenges this year, from natural disasters to a deluge of cheap imports to high fuel costs to inflation everywhere but in the price of our catch,” SSA Executive Director John Williams said. “We are fortunate both to have fishermen that continue to fight for the future of our industry and representatives that have been willing to listen and take action.”
The USDA opted to buy the shrimp after Graves and Jerry L. Carl (R-Alabama) requested the agency continue to purchase wild-caught shrimp pursuant to its Section 32 procurement program in fiscal-year 2022.
The USDA purchased over 9 million pounds of shrimp under this authority in 2020 and 2021, and the program is of an even greater importance to the shrimp industry now because of the incredible challenges currently confronting the commercial fishery, the letter said.
In September 2020, the USDA bought around USD 25.1 million (EUR 25.2 million) worth of domestic wild-caught shrimp, followed by a purchase of USD 24.8 million (EUR 25 million) in September 2021.
The USDA has not yet issued a formal bid invitation for the purchases.
Photo courtesy of Leigh Trail/Shutterstock
