USDA purchases surplus chicken dark meat

American consumers' preference for white meat has caused commercial poultry producers to be unable to sell their dark meat, but USDA has extended help by buying US$14 million worth of dark meat chicken products.

 

"The purchase announced will assist poultry producers who are experiencing an increase in dark meat cold storage inventories and a decreasing wholesale price," said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in a press release.

 

The US$14 million worth of chicken drumsticks and thighs will be distributed to federal food nutrition assistance programmes, including school lunch programmes and food banks across the country.

 

"These products are provided to food banks and other federal food nutrition assistance programmes to offer recipients a wide variety of healthful products," said Vilsack.

 

USDA has been buying up surplus products to help farmers. On June 4, for instance, they bought US$6 million worth of fresh tomatoes after almost two-thirds of the southwestern Florida tomato crop was destroyed by a surprise late winter freeze. Replanting after the freeze, in addition to scheduled planting created a surplus of tomatoes.

 

"USDA has been carefully monitoring the situation in Florida in order to determine how we can help growers get through the very difficult situation caused by the freeze earlier this year," said Vilsack.

 

"The purchase announced will provide Florida fresh tomato farmers with some relief, stimulate the economy, and provide high quality, nutritious food to people in need,'' he added.