Each year, USDA publishes open purchase requests for more than 200 products for distribution through domestic food programs. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) spent nearly $260 million on seafood, distributed across at least nine species groups.

Alaskan pollock

More than 28.2 million pounds of Alaska pollock were purchased by the U.S. government in 2024 in a variety of products, including breaded frozen pollock sticks, frozen fillets, and frozen fish boxes. USDA spent $66.5 million—the third-highest federal agency spending on Alaska pollock since at least 2011.

Companies awarded contracts in 2024 include Channel Fish Processing (Braintree, Massachusetts), Trident Seafoods (Seattle, Washington), and High Liner Foods (Portsmouth, New Hampshire).

Alaska pollock also got off to a strong start in 2025, with USDA awarding contracts for 920,000 pounds (about 417 metric tons) of pollock in November, scheduled for delivery between January 1 and April 15, 2025. These contracts are for fiscal year 2025.

Farmed catfish

A total of 11.5 million pounds (approximately 5,200 metric tons) of farmed catfish products have been purchased by USDA in 2024, valued at $55 million. The products include raw unbreaded fillets and breaded fish strips.

Contract recipients include Alabama Catfish (Uniontown, Alabama), America’s Catch (Itta Bena, Mississippi), Heartland Catfish (Itta Bena, Mississippi), Consolidated Catfish Producers (Isola, Mississippi), and Channel Fish.

Purchase contracts for fiscal year 2025 have also been awarded. To date, USDA has awarded contracts for 1.8 million pounds (approximately 816 metric tons) of catfish products, including breaded fish strips and raw unbreaded fillets, valued at $7.7 million.

Haddock

The USDA issued only one purchase order for haddock in 2024. Massachusetts-based Channel Fish Processing won a contract to supply a total of 15,300 cases of frozen haddock fillets, valued at $4.2 million.

Ocean Perch

The USDA also issued only one purchase order for ocean perch last year. Channel Fish won a contract to supply the USDA with 9,900 cases of frozen perch fillets, valued at $3.3 million.

Pacific Rockfish

A total of 36,000 cases of frozen Pacific rockfish fillets were purchased by the USDA, valued at $5.7 million. The contracts are split between Ocean Gold Seafoods (Westport, Washington), Bornstein Seafoods (Bellingham, Washington), and Dulcich Inc., which operates under the trade name Pacific Seafood (Clackamas, Oregon). Deliveries for these contracts begin in 2024 and continue through 2025.

Pacific Whiting

Dulcich Inc. and Ocean Gold Seafoods have won the only two contracts for frozen Pacific whiting fillets, for 97,200 cases valued at $13.6 million. USDA had an interest in purchasing additional cases of frozen Pacific whiting, but confirmed in September that it was unable to provide an additional 3,600 cases due to pricing issues. Like rockfish, deliveries for the Pacific whiting contracts begin in 2024 and continue through 2025.

Salmon

USDA made purchases of both frozen wild salmon fillets and canned salmon in 2018

Nearly 1.8 million cases of canned salmon, including kosher salmon, were purchased, valued at $86 million. Contract winners included Silver Bay Seafoods (Sitka, Alaska), OBI Seafoods (Seattle, Washington), and Peter Pan Seafood (Bellevue, Washington).

For frozen salmon, USDA purchased 396,000 pounds of frozen salmon fillets, valued at $3.5 million. Dulcich won the entire salmon fillet contract.

The federal government spent nearly $90 million on canned salmon and frozen salmon fillets. Some contracts are awarded in 2023 and delivered in 2024, while others are awarded in 2024, with deliveries extending into 2025.

Shrimp

USDA has issued a purchase request for 388,500 cases of peeled and deveined shrimp in FY2024 valued at $32.5 million. Contracts have been awarded to Dulcich Inc., C. F. Gollott and Son Seafood (Biloxi, Mississippi), Gulf Pride Enterprises (Biloxi), Lafitte Frozen Foods (Lafitte, Louisiana), Paul Piazza & Son (New Orleans, Louisiana), Sea Pearl Seafood (Bayou La Batre, Alabama), Tommy's Seafood (New Orleans, Louisiana), and Ocean Select Seafood (Henderson, Louisiana).

Walleye

After several unsuccessful attempts to purchase walleye in 2023, Red Lake Fisheries of Redby, Minnesota, has finally won two contracts to supply frozen walleye fillets to government agencies. The USDA first issued a walleye contract in December 2023, but deliveries will take place between January 16 and February 29, 2024. Red Lake Fisheries won this contract for 108,000 pounds of frozen walleye fillets, valued at $1.4 million. The company also won another contract to supply 72,000 pounds of frozen walleye fillets, valued at $972,000.

Source: VASEP