OBI, Trident, High Liner, Channel Fish win USDA pollock, salmon contracts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded contracts for Alaska pollock sticks and canned pink salmon to four separate seafood companies.

On Friday, 23 June, the USDA announced the winners of contracts for its emergency food assistance programs, with deliveries to be made from 1 October, 2023, through 30 June, 2024.

Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based OBI Seafoods won a contract to supply 456,200 cases, or 300 truckloads, of canned pink salmon worth USD 25.2 million (EUR 23.1 million).

Braintree, Massachusetts-based Channel Fish Processing won two separate contracts, one for 4.7 million pounds of Alaska pollock sticks worth USD 11.2 million (EUR 10.2 million), and the other for 3.4 million pounds of Alaska pollock fillets worth USD 9.6 million (EUR 8.8 million).

Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, Canada-based High Liner Foods, which operates a U.S. subsidiary based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.A., also won two contracts, one to supply 6.6 million pounds of Alaska pollock sticks worth USD 17.9 million (EUR 16.4 million), and another to supply 7.6 million pounds of Alaska pollock sticks worth USD 27.7 million (EUR 25.4 million).

Lastly, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Trident Seafoods will supply the USDA with 380,000 pounds of Alaska pollock sticks for USD 1.1 million (EUR 1.0 million).

Earlier this month, the USDA announced two separate solicitations for seafood purchases for its National School Lunch Program and other federal food assistance programs. The USDA's first solicitation asks companies to bid on a total of 47,120 cases of canned pink salmon and 957,920 pounds of frozen Alaska pollock. The deadline for bids is 22 June, with contracts announced by midnight 29 June. Deliveries will take place between 1 September and the end of the year.

The second solicitation seeks bids on 11,700 cases of frozen pollock fillets, 900 cases of frozen haddock fillets, 3.7 million pounds of frozen salmon fillets, 53,100 cases of frozen Pacific rockfish fillets, 238,500 cases of frozen salad shrimp products, 50,400 cases of frozen Pacific whiting fillets, and 753,200 cases of canned red sammon. Bids are due 29 June, with awards announced by 10 July. Deliveries will take place between August and the end of January 2024.

The USDA has made several seafood purchases this year already, including salmon products and Alaska pollock.