Fruit and Vegetable Canning, Pickling, and Drying

NAICS 31142 encompasses Fruit and Vegetable Canning, Pickling, and Drying, a specialized manufacturing sector focused on processing agricultural produce into preserved food products. This category involves transforming fresh fruits and vegetables into canned, dried, or otherwise preserved formats through industrial processing techniques. The industry produces a wide range of preserved food products designed for long-term storage, distribution, and consumption across domestic food assistance programs, institutional food services, and retail markets.

Federal contract awards under this NAICS code primarily involve the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) Commodity Procurement Program. These awards typically range from $500,000 to several million dollars, with contract durations spanning quarterly procurement cycles. The awards consistently target domestic food assistance programs, particularly the National School Lunch Program, and frequently involve firm-fixed-price contracts. Common set-asides include small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), and HUBZone small business allocations. Delivery locations span various regions across the United States, including mainland states, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii, with strict requirements that all products be grown, processed, and prepared exclusively in the United States.

Recent federal contract opportunities focus on procuring specific preserved food products such as canned vegetables (tomatoes, green beans, corn), canned fruits (peaches, applesauce), dried fruits (plums, raisins), and dehydrated potato products. These solicitations consistently require electronic submission through the USDA Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system, with bid due dates typically ranging from late July to late January. The opportunities target domestic food assistance programs and require vendors to meet stringent vendor qualification requirements established under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 9.2. Delivery schedules generally span quarterly periods, with products to be distributed to multiple locations nationwide on an FOB origin basis.