Wisconsin Ag Connection - USDA to Make Large Cranberry Purchase to Help Lower Surplus

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USDA to Make Large Cranberry Purchase to Help Lower Surplus
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 11/25/2014

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will purchase of up to 68 million pounds of cranberries to help draw down the oversupply of the tart fruit on the market. The Wisconsin Democrat, who serves as co-chair of the Congressional Cranberry Caucus, said the agency will put out procurement notices for specific products they want to purchase over the next several months.

"Wisconsin produces more cranberries than any other state," Baldwin said. "In a state that depends on agriculture to support hundreds of thousands of jobs and communities small and large, it's essential that we provide our growers with the tools and resources they need to continue to succeed."

She adds that the purchase will support cranberry growers at a time when the markets are especially tough. An abundance in cranberry production over the past couple of years has driven down the price for the specialty crop.

Last week, Baldwin co-signed a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack asking the USDA to consider a purchase of cranberries to mitigate the impact of a cranberry oversupply on growers at no cost to the taxpayer. The program is funded through customs receipts and the products purchased are provided to food pantries, which distribute the products to families in need.

Meanwhile, the cranberry industry has also worked with agency staff the Foreign Agriculture Service to expand export markets for cranberries and at the Food and Nutrition Service to expand the availability of cranberry products in school food programs through the addition of sweetened, dried cranberries to the Foods Available List.

Vilsack says the purchase will be worth $55 million and is aimed to help growers nationwide.

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