The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced plans to purchase fluid milk, including whole, 2 percent, 1 percent and skim, in half gallons for distribution to The Emergency Food Assistance Program. Purchases will be made under the authority of Section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935, with the purpose to encourage the continued domestic consumption of these products by diverting them from the normal channels of trade and commerce. These purchases are part of the normal operations of administering Section 32 and are not related or associated with the authority or administration of possible purchases under Section 5 of the Commodity Credit Corporation related to trade mitigation.
Solicitations will be issued in the near future, and will be available electronically through the Web-Based Supply Chain Management system. A hard copy of the solicitation will not be available. Public WBSCM information is available without an account on the WBSCM Public Procurement Page. All future information regarding this acquisition, including solicitation amendments and award notices, will be published through WBSCM, and on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s website at www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food. Interested parties shall be responsible for ensuring that they have the most up-to-date information about this acquisition. The contract type is anticipated to be firm-fixed price. Deliveries are expected to be to various locations in the United States on an FOB destination basis.
Pursuant to Agricultural Acquisition Regulation 470.103(b), commodities and the products of agricultural commodities acquired under this contract must be a product of the United States, and shall be considered to be such a product if it is grown, processed, and otherwise prepared for sale or distribution exclusively in the United States. Packaging and container components under this acquisition will be the only portion subject to the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and Free Trade Agreements, as addressed by FAR clause 52.225-5.
Offerors are urged to review all documents at www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food as they pertain to this program, including the latest AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements (MSCP), April 12, 2017; Applicable commodity specification(s) identified in the subsequent solicitation(s); and Qualification Requirements for Prospective Contractors Selling Commodities to USDA, March 1, 2017.
