USDA Buys 3 Million Pounds of Asparagus

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced plans to purchase up to 3 million pounds of surplus asparagus. Why, you might ask, would the USDA need to buy 3 million pounds of asparagus? Actually, for a very good, if not well known reason. The 100-percent U.S. farm-grown asparagus will be donated to child nutrition and other domestic food assistance programs by the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).

Every year, the AMS purchases a variety of high-quality surplus food products for distribution by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Programs benefiting from these annual surplus commodity purchases include; the national school lunch program, the school breakfast program, the summer food service program, the food distribution program on Indian reservations, the nutrition program for the elderly, the commodity supplemental food program and the emergency food assistance program.

More than 94,000 public and private nonprofit schools that provide meals to students are assisted by the FNS bulk food purchase program.

When necessary, the USDA also makes bulk purchases of agricultural products to aid the victims of natural disasters.

To ensure the lowest overall cost, growers and producers must submit bids to the AMS. Contracts for sale are awarded based on product quality and price. All food to be purchases is inspected by the USDA for quality and nutritional value. Food items are normally required to be low in fat, sugar and sodium.

Also See:
About Federal Grants, Assistance and Benefits
Top 10 Federal Benefit Programs
The Food Stamp Program
Emergency Food Assistance Program