The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded nearly $47.5 million worth of Alaska pollock contracts to seafood processors Trident Seafoods and Channel Fish Processing.
Additionally, the agency has awarded $29.3 million in domestic catfish contracts destined for federal nutrition programs and $24.7 million to several Louisiana-based seafood processors to supply U.S. shrimp.
Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Trident will supply nearly $25.1 million worth of pollock for the U.S. government’s Child Nutrition and Domestic Food Distribution Programs.
Channel Fish, based in Braintree, Massachusetts, will supply around $22.4 million worth of pollock.
The contract for more than 21 million pounds of Alaska pollock, which was the USDA’s second-largest pollock bid invitation ever – only behind June 2023 when the agency purchased 22.8 million pounds of pollock, GAPP CEO Craig Morris told SeafoodSource last month – lasts from April through June.
Meanwhile, the agency also purchased around 6.6 million pounds of raw, unbreaded catfish fillets for between $3.95 and $4.79 per pound. The suppliers will make deliveries between April and July.
Heartland Catfish, based in Itta Bena, Mississippi, will supply nearly $13.4 million worth of catfish, while America’s Catch, also based in Itta Bena, will supply $8.4 million worth of the fish.
Ocean Select Seafood, based in Cecilia, Louisiana, will supply $6.6 million in catfish, and Yazoo City, Mississippi, Simmons Farm Raised Catfish will supply $972,800 worth.
The USDA also purchased 232,500 cases of peeled and deveined shrimp.
New Orleans, Louisiana, Paul Piazza & Son won the majority of the shrimp contract for $14.5 million, while Ocean Select Seafood in Cecilia, Louisiana, was awarded $5.1 million.
Lafitte, Louisiana-based Lafitte Frozen Foods Corp. was awarded nearly $3 million; Bayou Shrimp Processors in Delcambre, Louisiana, was awarded nearly $1.2 million; Palmer Foods in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, was awarded $862,500; and Biloxi, Mississippi, C.F. Gollott and Son Seafood, was awarded $157,500.
This article is published with permission from Seafood Source. Read more by Christine Blank here.
