Kilmer Applauds USDA for Heeding Call to Support West Coast Fishermen and Seafood Processors
Kilmer Joined West Coast Lawmakers in Calling for Federal Assistance in April
Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) applauded the decision of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today to purchase up to $159.4 million in domestically produced seafood and other goods for distribution to a variety of domestic food assistance programs, as well as to charitable institutions. This is the largest purchase of U.S. raised seafood by the USDA to date.
On April 12, Kilmer joined U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and others in calling for USDA to make sure urgently needed federal assistance was delivered to West Coast fishermen and seafood processors, who have been hit hard by the ongoing coronavirus crisis and largely left out of USDA commodity purchasing programs.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on our coastal seafood economy,” said Rep. Kilmer. “I’m thrilled to see USDA invest in our fishermen, our seafood processors, and in jobs in our region. This investment will not only help our local economy recover, but help folks in need access healthy, nutritious meals.”
“The impacts of COVID-19 reverberated from our farms to our oceans,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “U.S. fisheries and the American seafood industry were dealt a heavy blow. Today, USDA is pleased to make the largest single seafood purchase in the Department’s history. These healthy, nutritious food purchases will benefit food banks and non-profits helping those struggling with food hardship as the Biden Administration works to get the economy back on track for American families.”
Selected commodities include: Alaska pollock, apricots (canned, dried, and frozen), chickpeas, dry peas, Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic wild-caught shrimp, lentils, navy beans, Pacific pink shrimp, Pacific rockfish fillets, Pacific whiting fillets, pistachios, prepared peaches, and sockeye (red) salmon. The inventories of these commodities are in high oversupply due to a decrease in demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic and disruption in the supply chain, as restaurants and other outlets closed during the pandemic.
According to USDA, within a few days of approval, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service will offer these commodities to their networks. Orders should be received during the first week of June with solicitations being issued mid-June and awards occurring near the end of the month. Deliveries should start to occur by mid-August.
Solicitations will be available electronically through the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system and on the Agricultural Marketing Service's website at www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food. To be eligible to submit offers, potential contractors must meet the AMS vendor qualification requirements and be domestic operations.
More information can be found here.
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