The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding nearly $29 million (€27 million) to Massachusetts-based companies Blue Harvest Fisheries, Channel Fish and Pier Fish as part of its child nutrition and other related domestic food assistance programs.

Earlier this month, the USDA awarded New Bedford's Blue Harvest $1.6 million (€1.5 million) for purchases of both frozen haddock fillets and Atlantic pollock fillets.

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The government agency also awarded Channel Fish nearly $11.7 million (€10.9 million) for purchases of Atlantic pollock and perch. Pier Fish was awarded $15.6 million (€14.5 million) to fulfill purchases of haddock and ocean perch.

In total, the USDA purchased 49,500 cases of frozen Atlantic pollock fillets, 18,900 cases of frozen haddock fillets and 35,100 cases of frozen ocean perch.

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The USDA confirmed with IntraFish the bid award is part of a federal food program that has included Atlantic haddock, pollock, and perch as part of its $1 billion (€936,972) in food purchases for school meal programs and food banks, a move that follows US lawmakers' complaints about challenges with the government agency's purchasing programs.

The funds, provided through USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation, are used to feed roughly 30 million students who participate in school lunch, and 15 million who participate in school breakfast each day, according to the USDA.

The Massachusetts congressional delegation that lobbied the USDA to include seafood caught off the US East Coast in its commodity credit corporation program has cited issues with Massachusetts seafood companies being unable to access USDA funds in the past.

On Friday, Blue Harvest Fisheries said it was suspending operations at its processing plant in New Bedford.

The company said the plant closure will allow it to focus on the "construction and acquisition of the modern, up-to-date fishing vessels" as it expands its activity in the Atlantic groundfish fishery.

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