USDA Seeks Bids on Salmon and Alaska Pollock; Awards Catfish Contracts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is looking for bids on a notable amount of Alaska pollock and wild salmon products. Plus, it unveiled its purchase awards for 270,000 pounds of farmed catfish products.

Focusing on pollock, the USDA said it is looking for offers to sell pollock products, with bids due on November 13, 2024. In all, the USDA is looking for 920,000 pounds of pollock products ranging from frozen Alaska pollock sticks, fillets and bulk containers of product...

USDA Seeks 270K Pounds of Catfish for Food Programs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is looking for 270,000 pounds of farm-raised catfish for use in domestic food distribution programs. The USDA said acceptances will be announced by 11:59 pm CT on November 12, 2024. Deliveries are to be made between January 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025.

Per the USDA solicitation, deliveries are to be made between January 1, 2025, and June 30, 2025.

Specifically, the USDA is eyeing 190,000 pounds of unbreaded raw catfish fillets and 80,000 pounds of oven-ready breaded catfish strips...

USDA Announces Winners Of Section 32 Farm Raised Catfish Solicitation 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the contract winners for the Section 32 farm raised catfish products solicitation.

The USDA released an invitation in late May for 4,940,000 lbs of unbreaded raw catfish fillets (20/2 lb) for use in the domestic food distribution programs. Bids were due by June 13, and acceptances were announced by the USDA late last week. The USDA awarded contracts for the full solicitation with a purchase total of $22,864,985.48. Deliveries of the product are to be made from...

Silver Bay Seafoods, Channel Fish and More Win Latest USDA Seafood Purchase Requests

Earlier this month the USDA issued a handful of bid invitations for seafood products, including catfish, salmon and walleye, and Alaska pollock. While offer invites for the Alaska pollock products ends today, the USDA has already announced the winners for the catfish, salmon and walleye products.

Looking first at catfish, the bid invitation from the USDA went out on May 2. The bid was for a total of 392,000 lbs of catfish products for use in domestic food distribution programs, including unbreaded raw fillets and...

NASEM Committee Announces Findings Between Seafood Consumption and Child Growth 

A committee with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) hosted a webinar this week, examining the connection between seafood consumption — particularly in women of a child bearing age, pregnant and breastfeeding women — and child growth and development. 

The Committee on the Role of Seafood Consumption in Child Growth and Development looked at finfish, shellfish, mollusks, crustaceans, and marine and freshwater fish. The aim of this research was to better understand the nutritional benefits of seafood consumption weighed against the health risks. The group found that...

Maryland Lawmakers Visit Tilghman Island Seafood to Highlight Funding for Blue Catfish Processing

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin visited Tilghman Island Seafood in Maryland last week to highlight recently secured funding for blue catfish. The facility — which is the only USDA-certified blue catfish processor on the state’s Eastern Shore — processes 2,000 pounds of blue catfish a day. 

Due to the facility’s high volume output, the senators used the visit to focus on the FY24 agriculture appropriations bill, which supports catfish processing and protects other species in the Chesapeake Bay.

Because the fish can...

USDA Issues Open Purchase Requests For Catfish, Pacific Whiting and Rockfish

The USDA has issued two seafood-related open purchase requests so far this month — one for farm raised catfish and the other for pacific whiting and rockfish products.

The invite for Section 32 farm raised catfish products opened on August 8. The USDA is seeking a total of 1,520,000 lbs of frozen, unbreaded raw catfish fillets (pkg 20/2 lb) to be delivered between January 1, 2025 and March 31, 2024. Offers are due by August 21 and acceptances will be announced on August 29...

ANALYSIS: Increasing Freight Drives Pressure on Value Finfish

The frozen fillet market for tilapia, pangasius, and catfish is experiencing shifts due to a variety of factors impacting both supply and demand. Recent developments in ocean freight rates, weather conditions, and supply chain disruptions have all contributed to the current market dynamics.

Tilapia

Tilapia pricing has steadily increased for the past year due to several key factors. U.S. importers face lower inventory levels, as anticipated supply improvements by late May or early June were delayed by unusual weather patterns in China's producing areas of Guangdong and...

USDA Kicks Off May With Open Purchase Requests For Alaska Pollock, Catfish, Salmon and Walleye

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) kicked off the month of May with three seafood open purchase requests.

On May 2 a bid invitation went out for a total of 392,000 lbs of catfish products for use in domestic food distribution programs. According to the document, the USDA is seeking 152,000 lbs of catfish fillets (unbreaded, raw, pkg 20/2), and 240,000 lbs of catfish strips (breaded, oven ready, pkg 4/10). Offers are due by May 9, with acceptances set to...

Politicians Claim Victory For U.S. Catfish Farmers Following Vietnam Administrative Review

On March 14 the International Trade Administration and Department of Commerce released a notice in the Federal Register announcing final results and partial rescission of administrative review for certain frozen fish fillets from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. According to the document, the Department of Commerce determined that Vietnamese exporter Vinh Hoan “did not sell subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value during the period of review from August 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022.” At the same time, the Department of Commerce also determined...