NIGP 94472: Rice Farming

NIGP 94472 Rice Farming, an Item code, encompasses agricultural land leasing, farming operations management, and crop production services that state and local governments acquire to maintain open space properties, support research and extension operations, and generate revenue from publicly owned or managed agricultural real estate. Recent solicitations show state and local jurisdictions buying comprehensive agricultural leasing arrangements that include land access, water rights, irrigation infrastructure, and operator responsibilities such as ditch-riding duties, along with farming services contracts that mandate specific production practices including organic and regenerative agriculture, wildlife habitat management, and sustainability compliance. The issuing bodies span university agricultural departments (Texas A&M AgriLife), county parks and open space divisions (Boulder County Parks & Open Space), and municipal parks departments (City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation), with Boulder County emerging as a repeat buyer posting multiple agricultural lease RFPs within a three-week window in late March and early April 2026.

Recent opportunities concentrate in Colorado and the Southwest, with Boulder County Parks & Open Space issuing at least three separate RFPs for agricultural leases—the AHI Agricultural Lease (756 acres, five-year term, RFP-2702-6 due April 21, 2026), the Wilkie Miller Agricultural Lease (54.5 acres, three-year term, RFP-2712-6 due April 24, 2026), and the James Construction Agricultural Lease (31 acres, three-year term, RFP-2742-6 due May 8, 2026)—all weighted toward sustainability alignment and operational planning in evaluation scoring. The City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Department issued a farming-services RFP for Alamo Field Open Space (10 acres, five-year term with optional extension, due April 16, 2026) that requires a minimum of 25 percent wildlife cropping and habitat production and mandates working relationships with the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. Texas A&M University's Administrative Services Procurement Office posted an Invitation to Bid for Comprehensive Rice & Agricultural Services through the AggieBid electronic platform (questions due February 25, 2026, bids due April 21, 2026), procuring on behalf of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension Service, and the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. None of the solicitations specify set-aside designations or disadvantaged-enterprise preferences in available documentation.