These companies won contracts for USDA's TEFAP produce boxes
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has purchased fresh produce for distribution via food boxes through the Emergency Food Assistance Program and other domestic food assistant programs.
USDA announced the purchases of mixed produce on May 18, stating the produce was purchased on an f.o.b. destination basis. Deliveries are to be made from June 1 to Sept. 30, according to the USDA's statement.
The TEFAP fresh produce boxes include a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and replace the Farmers to Families Food Box program of the Trump administration.
Companies receiving contracts and the amount of purchase:
- Aggrigator Inc., Watsonville, Calif. — $1.93 million
- Brian Campbell Farms, Berwick, Pa. — $77,520
- C&C Produce Inc., North Kansas City, Mo. — $137,600
- Chico Produce Inc., Durham, Calif. — $8,925
- Daylight Foods Inc., Union City, Calif. — $1.99 million
- DiMare Fresh Inc., Fort Worth, Texas — $15,375
- DNO Inc., Columbus, Ohio — $1.2 million
- EKK Investments LLC, Vernon, Calif. — $360,000
- First Cut Produce Inc., Evanston, Ill. — $28,175
- Garden State Farms LLC, Philadelphia — $3,948
- Goodman Food Products, Inglewood, Calif. — $42,141
- Gourmet Gorilla Inc., Chicago — $180,600
- Ham Produce and Seafood Inc., Honolulu — $94,412
- M. Palazola Produce Co., Memphis, Tenn. — $940,719
- Miceli Dairy Products Co., Cleveland, Ohio — $25,800
- Military Produce Group LLC, Virginia Beach, Va. — $241,945
- Pacific Coast Fruit Co., Portland, Ore. — $8,955
- Produce Alliance LLC, Buffalo Grove, Ill. — $76,449
- Proffer Wholesale Produce Inc., Park Hills, Mo. — $456,656
- Sudano's Produce LLC, Hanover, Md. — $146,780
- Sunterra Produce Traders Inc., Newport Beach, Calif. — $466,745
- Tomato Thyme Corp., Wimauma, Fla. — $1.1 million
- United Apple Sales LLC, Lyndonville, N.Y. — $6,300
- Wescott Agriproducts Inc., Elgin, Minn. — $98,400
- Wiers Farms Inc., Willard, Ohio — $55,875
More details on the winning contracts are available in the USDA's announcement.
After the USDA issued the awards, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, expressed disappointment in USDA's contract decisions.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has exploited our country’s hunger and nutrition crises and demonstrated the need to make healthy, nutritious foods more accessible, especially for low-income communities. At the same time, local farmers faced a year of decreased demand and market disruption, and they deserve real support. USDA’s fresh produce purchasing can accomplish both of these goals," DeLauro said in a statement.
“Yet, I am disappointed by today’s announcement, which fails to meet the existing need for healthy and fresh foods, nor does it prioritize purchases from local food systems. I strongly believe we must reimagine USDA procurement, abandon its low-cost model, and leverage it as a powerful tool to drive change by investing in the family farmers and local producers who feed their communities. I look forward to continuing to work with Secretary Vilsack to advance this priority.”
For more information on the TEFAP produce packages and what requirements were for the program, see the following:
USDA’s Farmers to Families to Food Box Program to end, but produce boxes will continue
Pre-solicitation announcement for TEFAP fresh produce
