The United States government is seeking bids for an additional USD 2 million worth of Alaska pollock, after setting a record number of purchases so far this year.
The United States Department of Agriculture is asking suppliers to submit bids by 13 May to supply nearly 2.1 million pounds of frozen Alaska pollock for the National School Lunch Program and other Federal Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs. Suppliers awarded the contracts would make deliveries between 1 September, 2019, through 31 January 2020.
With the new bid, the USDA sets a record for most pollock purchases in a year – even with five months to go in the fiscal year. USDA has agreed to purchase around 13.8 million pounds of pollock so far in fiscal year 2019, compared to around 13.4 million for the entire fiscal year 2017, when there was excess inventory.
“USDA has become a true partner to the wild Alaska pollock industry in a number of ways in recent years, ranging from their appreciation for the significance of our fishery and the important role it plays in job creation, to the U.S. balance of trade, to what a wholesome, nutritious and delicious fish wild Alaska pollock is,” Craig Morris, CEO of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP), told SeafoodSource.
This year’s record purchases can partially be attributed to U.S. legislators encouraging the USDA last year to purchase additional Alaska pollock, due to a challenges caused by the U.S. - China trade war.
As a result, the USDA agreed to provide Alaska pollock through the Emergency Food Assistance Program, the agency’s partnership with the Nation's food banks.
“The complicated trade environment U.S. agriculture faces right now resulted in encouragement from Alaska's legislators in Washington, DC, for USDA to commit to supporting the wild Alaska pollock industry, like they have so many other sectors of U.S. agriculture over the past year,” Morris said. “We are deeply appreciative of this support and the fact that our protein-rich product went to serving our nation's most vulnerable populations.”
In addition, states are “choosing to use their entitlement dollars on wild Alaska pollock because they love the product and how it fits into their meal plans in programs such as the National School Lunch Program,” Morris said.
