USDA Acts to Help Egg Industry

August 28, 2001

USDA will purchase approximately $10 million of fowl meat products for school lunch and other domestic feeding programs, creating what the department said is a "much-needed market" for light spent fowl meat, which is produced from egg-type laying hens. Egg producers have been unable to dispose of the layers in sufficient numbers because fowl processors cannot increase normal markets for fowl meat.

The inability to dispose of spent light hens has contributed to an oversupply problem. Therefore, this purchase is designed to assist the egg industry while providing a food commodity that is popular in USDA's child nutrition and other domestic feeding programs.

Although the amount of fowl meat purchased by USDA depends on the quantities offered, prices bid, and recipient requirements, these purchases will help reduce the burdensome levels of laying hens on the farm.

Purchase details will be mailed to the industry following an announcement of the start of the purchase program. Interested suppliers should contact the Contracting Officer, USDA/AMS/Poultry Programs, Commodity Procurement Branch STOP 0260, PO Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090-6456.

An electronic version of this announcement can be obtained through the world wide web via the Commodity Procurement Home Page at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/cp.