USDA buying more pollock, awards walleye contract

After a significant pollock purchase of USD 1.75 million (EUR 1.6 million) in November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking to buy more wild Alaska pollock with a deadline to receive bids of 13 December.

Simultaneously, the agency awarded a significant walleye contract worth more than USD 1.4 million (EUR 1.3 million).

In the new bid solicitation, the USDA is inviting offers to sell 230,000 pounds of frozen pollock fillets and sticks to use in the National School Lunch Program and other Federal Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs.

Bids are due by 1:00 Central Standard Time on 13 December, and the agency will announce the awarded contracts by 20 December. The winning suppliers will deliver products between March and June 2024.

In the pollock contracts awarded in early December, Channel Fish Processing and Trident Seafoods split the contracts worth USD 1.75 million.

Braintree, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Channel Fish will supply USD 988,559 (EUR 917,000) worth of frozen pollock sticks, while Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Trident will supply bulk surimi worth USD 759,924 (EUR 705,000).

The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers was “very pleased” to see the award, which will provide “delicious and healthy U.S.-caught and processed seafood to children served by the National School Lunch Program,” GAPP CEO Craig Morris told SeafoodSource earlier this month.

That was USDA’s first Alaska pollock purchase of the 2024 fiscal year, which started on 1 October. Last year, the department purchased over 25.5 million pounds of pollock products at a value of USD 68.5 million (EUR 63.5 million), according to Morris.

"Our industry is hoping this most recent purchase is just the beginning of what will be another strong purchase year for USDA and that they continue to be a strong customer and partner as they have become in the past few years,” Morris said.

Meanwhile, Redby, Minnesota, U.S.A.-based Red Lake Nation Fisheries won the USDA contract to supply 108,000 pounds of frozen walleye fillets, worth USD 1.4 million.

 The USDA originally canceled a purchase order for walleye fillets in November after no bids were received, but re-issued the solicitation.

Photo courtesy of Andrey Starostin/Shutterstock