USDA Seeks Bids for 9.4 Million Pounds of Peanut Butter for Child Nutrition Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced a major solicitation for peanut butter production aimed at supporting both the Child Nutrition Program and the Domestic Food Distribution System. The new solicitation highlights continued government investment in U.S. agriculture while aiding nutrition programs for children and institutions nationwide.
“From the USDA Ag Marketing Service, they have selected a commodity of announcement on the solicitation of making peanut butter. This is for support of the Child Nutrition Program and the Domestic Food Distribution System. This time they are asked for a total bid on 9,454,732 pounds of peanut butter. Also in that list is roasted in-shell peanuts and sunflower butter.”
The peanut butter, sunflower butter, and roasted peanuts requested will be distributed to support food service operations that provide meals for school children, correctional facilities, and other government-supported meal programs.
Several companies have been tapped to help meet this large demand for shelf-stable, high-protein food products:
“The companies that will be producing this peanut butter and delivering it between October 1st and December 31st for the Child Nutrition Program will be Tobacco N’ Jigs, Fine Foods of Somerset, New Jersey, Severn Peanut Company of Severn, North Carolina, Clements Food Company of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Red River Commodities of Fargo, North Dakota, and All Good Food Company of Louisville, Kentucky.”
This USDA bid is a positive signal for the 2025 peanut crop, providing a strong market for surplus peanuts being harvested this season.
“This shows that there are lots of people wanting to make peanut butter for the school lunch program or various programs that provide food for prisoners or school children or whatever. But the USDA is wanting a bid on 9,454,732 pounds of peanut butter to be delivered soon. That’s a good deal because it’ll utilize a lot of peanuts that are being produced this year.”
This move not only supports nutritional needs across the U.S., but also benefits American peanut producers by ensuring demand for this year’s harvest.
Audio Reporting by Tyron Spearman for Southeast AgNet.