The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has unveiled plans to buy USD 20 million (EUR 17.7 million) worth of Atlantic groundfish as part of a bulk purchase of fresh food to distribute to food banks and nutrition assistance programs.
“These purchases deliver healthy, nutritious, American commodities to individuals and families in need. At a time when President Trump and his cabinet are Making America Healthy Again, USDA is proud to play a role in supporting those in need by providing access to the safest and highest-quality fresh fruits, vegetables, and seafood in the world,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement.
According to a pre-solicitation notice, the USDA is seeking bids to supply packages of frozen Atlantic pollock fillets, haddock fillets, and ocean perch fillets.
The bulk USD 67 million (EUR 59.3 million) purchase also included USD 16 million (EUR 14.2 million) for pink shrimp.
Oregon officials had written to the USDA earlier in May asking the government to help prop up its pink shrimp sector after tariff uncertainty led to the cancellation of major contracts with European buyers; a larger than usual harvest in 2024 further exacerbated the issue.
Those same officials welcomed the USDA’s decision to purchase the state’s pink shrimp.
“As a coastal state with major ports, we move billions of dollars’ worth of seafood across the globe. The Oregon shrimp fleet is made up of independent family fishermen who are oftentimes multi-generational members of their local coastal communities,” Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said in a statement. “USDA’s investment in our state will help our local economies grow and families make ends meet.”
In its announcement, USDA noted that it has purchased USD 600 million (EUR 531 million) worth of food products to support the charitable feeding network so far this fiscal year.
However, the latest Section 32 purchases come after the Trump administration rolled back USDA programs that purchase locally produced products to supply food banks and as the president pushes to substantially reduce federal contributions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The Trump administration cut funding for the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Program – which regularly buys seafood products – by roughly USD 1.13 billion (EUR 1 billion). The move was met with concern from food bank operators and seafood suppliers alike.
“[The loss] is a concerning step backward for our food system in Maryland. This funding cut will reduce access to fresh produce, protein, dairy, eggs, and seafood for the nearly 2 million people facing [food insecurity],” MFB Chief Operating Officer Meg Kimmel told SeafoodSource in April. “Through [federal funding], the MFB has purchased nearly 86,000 pounds of catfish. We believe this program is a win-win for our neighbors and for watermen and seafood producers and are calling to see it reinstated.”
Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act would also significantly reduce the federal government’s purchases of seafood. The version of the legislation passed by the U.S. House in May would slash federal SNAP spending by USD 300 billion (EUR 266 billion) over ten years.
