USDA solicits proposals for third round of Greek-yogurt pilot program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting proposals from Greek-yogurt producers for the third round of a pilot program that provides yogurt for schools in 12 states.

The program is part of the USDA’s school-lunch program.

The office of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced the solicitation in a news release issued on Thursday.

The USDA will accept proposals through Nov. 12, Schumer’s office said.

The senator is urging New York Greek yogurt manufacturers to apply. They include Norwich–based Chobani, Inc.; Miami, Fla.–based Alpina Foods, which operates a yogurt plant in Batavia in Genesee County; and Luxembourg–based Fage, which operates its U.S. facility in Johnstown in Fulton County.

“This is a great opportunity for them to send their products to new regions, grow their business, and show the entire country what Greek yogurt is all about,” Schumer said in the news release.

This is the USDA’s third bid solicitation in the program.

The current solicitation is to offer Greek yogurt from January to March 2015, and the USDA will select one or multiple vendors to provide the product.

Schumer in July announced that Chobani and Buffalo–based Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. had been selected to provide Greek yogurt to seven states for one month as part of the program.

The pilot program, which Schumer announced in early March, now includes 12 states — New York, Arizona, Idaho, Tennessee, California, Iowa, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and Mississippi.

Schumer had “urged” the USDA to expand the program to additional states, as the senator would like the department to “permanently” add Greek yogurt to its school-lunch program.

His push for the expansion followed news in January that schools that had participated in an initial three-month, pilot program had consumed 200,000 pounds and $300,000 worth of Greek yogurt.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com