The U.S. Department of Agriculture is asking Alaska pollock suppliers to bid on a contract for 8.325 million pounds of the fish – the third-largest bid invitation for Alaskan pollock in the agency’s history.
The USDA is also requesting bids on nearly 2.7 million pounds of catfish and said in a pre-solicitation notice that it plans to purchase canned tuna, haddock fillets, ocean perch fillets, wild salmon fillets, and canned pink salmon.
Some of the Alaska pollock order will be used for the National School Lunch program and other institutions, but the majority will be distributed to U.S. households with food needs, the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) CEO Craig Morris told SeafoodSource.
“Clearly, USDA is doing its part to assist those families in need right now by providing them with a domestically-produced, wholesome, healthy, and sustainable protein,” Morris said.
Of the 8.325 million pounds of pollock requested, nearly 6.7 million pounds of the bid is 20-pound boxes that contain 10 two-pound bags.
“Those package sizes are designed for USDA’s household distribution program,” Morris said.
The remaining 1.6 million pounds are 49.5-pound blocks and 40-pound boxes of Alaska pollock fish sticks, designed for institutional and school usage, Morris said. Bids on the contract are due by 15 May, and suppliers will make deliveries from July 2021 through February 2022.
Bids for the catfish contract are due by 7 May, according to the USDA.
Photo courtesy of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers
