The US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service has approved the National Bison Association’s request for a $17 million purchase of ground bison under the Section 32 Surplus Removal program.
The association filed the request for the purchase in late August, noting market pressures created by an unanticipated large crop of harvest-ready bison in 2019 were compounded by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purchase of bison meat is part of a $170 million Section 32 purchase that also included beans, butter, fluid milk and fresh grapes.
Dave Carter, executive director of the National Bison Association, last week’s announcement (Dec. 4, 2020) binds USDA to buy up to $17 million in bison meat, with the actual purchases dependent upon the number of bids submitted by qualified suppliers. While the USDA purchases will be made from commercial processors, Carter notes the purchase of bison meat will benefit everyone along the supply chain.
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