The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded 50 companies a total of $856.56 million in the third round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program.
As of Sept. 17, the program has distributed 91.5 million boxes, according to the USDA.
The new round of boxes, which will include produce, dairy products and cooked meat, will be distributed to every county in the U.S., according to a USDA news release.
The third round of contract applications for the program was more stringent, with a two-step process designed to ensure the boxes would be going to all areas of the U.S., and that distributors receiving the funds would be responsible for the boxes from “truck to trunk” ensuring last-mile delivery.
“Agreements were awarded based on the pricing submitted for the delivery locations proposed, box content, last mile delivery plans, means testing compliance, and support of small and local/regional food systems,” according to the release.
“These contract awards will go to vendors who submitted the strongest proposals in support of American agriculture and the American people,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in the release. “The high level of interest and quality of proposals are a testament that the program is accomplishing what we intended — supporting U.S. farmers and distributors and getting food to those who need it most.”
The contracts, made possible through the Trump administration’s $1 billion addition to the original $3 billion in the Farmers to Families program, cover distribution of food boxes through Oct. 31.
Companies receiving the largest contracts (in millions) include:
- Caribbean Produce Exchange LLC, $35.41
- Costa Fruit & Produce, $19.8
- Creation Gardens Inc., $21.09
- Daylight Foods Inc., $33.8
- DiMare Fresh Inc., $82.52
- LA Specialty Produce Co., $43.9
- Luberski Inc., $32.46
- Perfect Pact, $19.56
- Premier Produce One Inc., $17.29
- Produce Alliance LLC, $79.29
- Produce Source Partner Inc., $18.22
- Proffer Wholesale Produce Inc., $19.71
- Royal Food Service Co. Inc., $27.33
- Seashore Fruit & Produce Co. Inc., $33.97
- Segovia’s Distributing Inc., $30.1
- Shamrock Foods Co., $17.66
- Sysco Corp, $114.48
- Vincent Farms Inc., $42.87
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