WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced plans for a Section 32 purchase of American lamb products for distribution to various food nutrition assistance programs, as requested by the American Sheep Industry Association and the National Lamb Feeders Association earlier this year. Support for the purchase also came from congressional delegations from several Western states in recent months.
“We made the initial request with NLFA in the spring because we saw the supply issues starting to occur,” said ASI Executive Director Peter Orwick. “We’ve since had numerous meetings with USDA and lamb companies in support of a purchase.”
Potential materials may include: 110290 Lamb Leg Roast 38-40 lbs./case, 111601 Lamb Diced FRZ PKG – 20/2 lb, 110300 Lamb Shoulder Chops 38-42 lbs./case, 111241 Lamb Loin Chops 38-42 lbs./case. 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.
Solicitations will be issued in the near future and will be available via a Request for Quote. To request that your entity receive a copy of the RFQ please email [email protected]. All contract activity will be available via WBSCM. 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 on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s website. 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 FOB Origin, firm-fixed price.
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 as they pertain to this program, including the latest—
- AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements (MSCP), March 1, 2022;
- Applicable commodity specification(s) identified in the subsequent solicitation(s); and
- Qualification Requirements for Prospective Contractors Selling Commodities to USDA, March 1, 2017.
These documents are available on the AMS Commodity Procurement website.
To be eligible to submit offers, potential contractors must meet the AMS vendor qualification requirements. The AMS point of contacts for new vendors are Andrea Lang who can be reached by phone at (202) 720-4237 and Diana Dau (202) 378-1075 or by email to [email protected]. Details of these requirements are available online.
Once qualification requirements have been met, access to WBSCM will be provided. Bids, modifications, withdrawals of bids, and price adjustments shall be submitted using this system. Submission of the above by any means other than WBSCM will be determined non-responsive.
Orwick said the meat purchase is basically adding a new customer for American lamb in the coming months and ought to help strengthen demand. As a volunteer trade association, ASI is very limited in ways to impact lamb prices outside of this USDA tool.
