The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded USD 2.3 million (EUR 2 million) in contracts for Alaska pollock, while asking for additional bids on contracts to provide millions of dollars’ worth of pollock and salmon.
The USDA awarded two contracts for 1,026,000 pounds of Alaska pollock products, with the largest, worth USD 1.45 million (EUR 1.3 million), going to Braintree, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Channel Fish. Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Trident Seafoods was awarded USD 829,996 (EUR 739,000) to supply frozen pollock sticks and nuggets.
The latest pollock purchase brings USDA’s total fiscal year 2025 purchases to 23,872,000 pounds at a value of more than USD 51.8 million (EUR 50 million), GAPP CEO Craig Morris told SeafoodSource.
The USDA plans to buy more pollock for fiscal year 2025, as well. The agency is asking suppliers to bid on 836,000 pounds of pollock, 142,880 cases of canned pink salmon, and 36,000 pounds of frozen wild salmon fillets.
Bids on the salmon items are due by 9 May, while pollock suppliers have until 19 May to submit bids. The seafood, which will be used for national food distribution programs, will be delivered between July and December of this year.
In March, the USDA awarded nearly USD 47.5 million (EUR 42 million) worth of Alaska pollock contracts to Trident Seafoods and Channel Fish Processing. Additionally, the agency awarded USD 29.3 million (EUR 26 million) in domestic catfish contracts and USD 24.7 million (EUR 22 million) to several Louisiana-based seafood processors to supply U.S. shrimp.
