Jimmie Turner (202) 720-8998jimmie.turner@ams.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2010 – On July 14, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service conducted a free interactive webinar, How to Sell Fruits and Vegetables to the USDA, for large and small sized fruit and vegetable growers.
During the session an expert from the purchasing agency informed dozens of produce growers and processors about the process for selling their products to USDA and what products the agency purchases. Government and other stakeholders in the produce industry also participated in the webinar.
AMS purchases fruits and vegetables from industry vendors for distribution to a variety of domestic nutrition programs including the National School Lunch Program. Overall, more than $478 million is spent on about one billion pounds of products each year. USDA provides approximately 15 percent of the overall food offerings as part of the National School Lunch Program.
“What the webinar did was provide really detailed information on the types of products that USDA is looking for,” said Marion Kalb, co-director of the National Farm to School Network in Santa Fe, N.M. “We can use that information to work with our farmers and go through the vendor certification process, and then hopefully open up that USDA market to growers.”
Dan Coker, the chief of state markets for the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Division of Marketing and Development, said he shared the information with the folks from the Bureau of Food Distribution “right down the hallway” from his office.
The bureau works with Florida school districts to determine what commodities they’ll need to purchase for the breakfast and lunch programs. With what he learned from the webinar, Coker said he can present opportunities to producers. “I can let them know that great things are coming down the line, you just need to go sign up and register with USDA, and then bid on the selling.”
Red Book Credit Services hosts the webinar series as part of its free Red Book University educational offering in conjunction with the USDA. The How to Sell Fruits and Vegetables to the USDA webinar is part of a continuing series that AMS will be conducting for the foreseeable future.
The next webinar will detail how the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) Branch protects industry buyers and sellers of perishable fruits and vegetables. PACA – Your Partners in Produce, is scheduled for Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. EDT.
In September, AMS will offer an overview of the inspection process, covering such topics as how to request an inspection, interpreting an inspection certificate, and how to appeal an inspection result. USDA Fresh Products Market Inspection Basics will be held Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. EDT.
To sign up for any of these webinars, contact Christopher Purdy, Business Development Specialist, at (202) 720-3209 or via email at christopher.purdy@ams.usda.gov. Information about webinar registration and the Red Book University Webinar Series can also be found at www.usda.gov/ams.
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