News Releases for January 2002
January 8, 2002
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Hoeven Announces U.S.D.A. Bison Meat Bid Request
BISMARCK, N.D. - Governor John Hoeven today announced that the U.S.D.A. issued a Request for Proposals to provide bison meat for federal food assistance programs.
U.S.D.A. officials told Hoeven that between March and June, they would purchase 840,000 pounds of surplus bison meat for the Food Distribution Program for Indians on Reservations.
In December, Hoeven met with James Butler, deputy undersecretary of the U.S.D.A.’s Marketing and Regulatory Programs and Dr. Ken Clayton, the economist with the department’s Agricultural Marketing Service to push for the purchase.
“We commend the U.S.D.A. is following through as promised,” Hoeven said. “We look forward to seeing additional purchases in February, as they indicated last month.”
The department will purchase up to $6 million of bison meat. Ground product and stew meat produced by the North American Bison Cooperative in New Rockford will be eligible for up to $3 million of the bid, which is under the 2002 agricultural appropriations bill. The remaining $3 million in the 2001 appropriation bill is limited to grass-fed bison. Hoeven was told in December that the bids would be awarded by the end of January, he said.
“Today’s bid invitation is a positive first step by the U.S.D.A. to alleviate some of the economic stress on the bison industry,” Hoeven said.
Hoeven, meanwhile, said that he would continue to push the U.S.D.A. to make a larger buy under the Section 32 bonus-buy program. Section 32 allows the U.S.D.A. to purchase surplus commodities from distressed industries for distribution through federal food assistance programs.
“The industry is experiencing real financial difficulty,” Hoeven said. “I pressed for a $10 million purchase, which is what the industry asked for last October, and which they need to get back on their feet again,” Hoeven said.
The bison industry represents the third largest livestock sector in North Dakota, and the state’s New Rockford plant is the largest bison processing facility in North America, Hoeven said.
“We need to stimulate and promote all of our agricultural sectors if we’re going to succeed in diversifying the industry in North Dakota.”
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