USDA fulfills promise with USD 28 million purchase from East Coast seafood companies

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is buying pollock, haddock, and ocean perch fillets worth USD 28.8 million (EUR 26.8 million) in its latest round of purchases for its child nutrition and domestic food assistance programs.

The purchase is being split between three providers – New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Blue Harvest, New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Pier Fish, and Braintree Massachusetts-based Channel Fish, and fulfills part of the USDA’s promise to purchase U.S. East Coast seafood for food bank donations.

Pier Fish is receiving the largest portion of the contract, and will provide USD 15.6 million (EUR 14.5 million) worth of haddock and ocean perch to the USDA. Of that total, the company is providing 18,000 cases of haddock fillets, and 34,200 cases of ocean perch.

Channel Fish, meanwhile, will provide 43,200 cases of Atlantic pollock fillets and 900 cases of ocean perch fillets, with a combined value of USD 11.6 million (EUR 10.8 million).

Blue Harvest will supply 6,300 cases of frozen Atlantic pollock fillets and 900 cases of frozen haddock fillets, worth a combined total of USD 1.6 million (EUR 1.4 million). 

The purchase award, dated 17 March, 2023, included an unfufilled contract for 12,600 cases of Atlantic pollock fillets, which was not awarded due to vendor capacity, and a contract for 900 cases of haddock fillets that was not awarded due to price considerations. The initial solicitation for bids was released on 3 March, 2023. 

The purchases add to the USD 4.5 million (EUR 4.2 million) in contracts awarded for canned pink salmon in early March 2023 as the USDA continues its strategy of increasing its seafood purchases. Earlier this year, the USDA also purchased USD 8 million (EUR 7.4 million) worth of canned pink salmon and frozen pink salmon.

Photo courtesy of Diana Taliun/Shutterstock