The purchase is equivalent to 30 million pounds or 300,000 barrels of US-grown cranberries, and will benefit national nutritional assistance programs and other charitable institutions. These kinds of commodity purchases provide quality, wholesome, healthy foods to those in most need.

The USDA’s Food Purchase Program benefits American farmers who are supplying quality finished products and raw materials for USDA foods and, in turn, can continue to provide economic opportunities for their local communities. The agency will put out procurement notices for specific products in the next few months.