USDA will be spending some millions on specialty crops.
On Jan. 13, during the 107th American Farm Bureau Federation Convention held in Anaheim, Calif., U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced $80 million in new Section 32 purchases of specialty crops. The purchases will involve $20 million each of almonds, pistachios, raisins, and grape juice.
Specifically, the purchases will be domestically produced:
- Concord grape juice
- Boxed and packaged raisins
- Whole roasted and natural almonds
- Pistachios roasted in the shell
See the Agricultural Marketing Service’s pre-solicitation announcement for more details.
According to the USDA announcement that followed Rollins’ statement, these purchases will be distributed to food banks as part of the Food and Nutrition Service’s assistance programs, including The Emergency Food Assistance Program.
A USDA spokesperson told The Packer that “Section 32 purchases are designed to reduce domestic surpluses” and industry representatives “typically submit a written request to USDA indicating that there is an oversupply in the market.” Following an economic assessment, USDA then decides if a purchase is warranted.
Regarding the purchases announced by Rollins, the spokesperson says: “AMS plans to issue a solicitation by the end of the month. The solicitation will contain information about the destinations and delivery periods for the purchased commodities.”
Commodity procurement solicitations can be found online at the AMS page.
