USDA Will Purchase More Eggs, Egg Products

October 24, 2019

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will buy up to $20 million of eggs and egg products through “Section 32,” a longstanding purchase program, department officials announced at UEP’s Annual Conference.

Jennifer Porter, deputy administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service for livestock and poultry programs, announced plans for the purchases in response to a letter from UEP that made AMS aware of the opportunity to buy at attractive values. The Section 32 buys will be in addition to $20 million previously announced for eggs and egg products under the Trump administration’s trade mitigation program. Solicitations under trade mitigation will be issued soon for delivery in the January-March quarter, Porter said. AMS expects to buy up to $7.5 million of shell eggs and up to $12.5 million of frozen whole eggs under trade mitigation.

Both the Section 32 and trade mitigation purchases will be primarily aimed at supplying food banks and pantries under The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). These TEFAP purchases are in addition to normal AMS buys of eggs and egg products for schools, Native American reservations and other programs.