The United States government is purchasing nearly USD 2.7 million (EUR 2.4 million) worth of domestic catfish for child nutrition and other related domestic food assistance programs.
America’s Catch in Itta Benna, Mississippi; Consolidated Catfish Companies LLC in Isola, Mississippi; and Heartland Catfish in Itta Benna, Mississippi, will be supplying the raw catfish fillets and breaded catfish strips, the United States Department of Agriculture said in a notice.
The suppliers will make deliveries between 16 July and 15 December, 2019.
Consolidated Catfish was awarded the bulk of the contract at around USD 2 million (EUR 1.8 million) worth, while America’s Catch will deliver an estimated USD 481,000 (EUR 428,000) of catfish, and Heartland Catfish will deliver nearly USD 161,000 (EUR 143,000) of the fish.
In 2018, the USDA said it was purchasing nearly USD 20 million (EUR 18 million) in catfish products as part of its Section 32 “Bonus Buys” authority.
At the time, the agency said in a release the large purchase was intended to “Encourage the continued domestic consumption of these products by diverting them from the normal channels of trade and commerce.”
