UNSPSC 50302904: Fardh dates

The variety of dates known as fardh dates

UNSPSC 50302904 Fardh dates, a Commodity code, encompasses fresh and dried fruit procurement for institutional food service programs, particularly school nutrition, child care, and correctional facility operations. Recent solicitations show state and local governments purchasing fresh and processed fruits—whole produce, pre-cut items, berries, melons, apples, bananas, and specialty dried fruits—primarily to support National School Lunch Programs, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal service, USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program initiatives, and general institutional food operations. The issuing-body mix spans school districts (elementary through high school levels), county boards of education, city and state purchasing departments, regional cooperative buying consortiums, and specialized programs such as Head Start agencies and correctional facility food services. School districts dominate recent activity; Georgia school systems appear particularly active, along with districts in Texas, Florida, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Oregon, and California. Cooperative purchasing vehicles are common, such as the GEC Buying Cooperative serving 30+ Georgia districts and multi-county consortiums that allow smaller districts to aggregate demand and leverage volume pricing.

Representative recent solicitations illustrate the scope: Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB for petite bananas (70–90 cases weekly; annual value $78,000; response due July 29, 2026) specifies ripeness and temperature controls with 98 percent fill-rate requirements and HACCP plan submission; the City of Edinburg, Texas CACFP procurement (RFP 2026-017; due August 4, 2026) seeks beverages, produce, paper goods, and nonfood items across five supply categories for 400 children ages 1–18 daily, with local-vendor preference under Texas code; the GEC Buying Cooperative fresh produce and eggs solicitation (due March 4, 2026) covers two Georgia regions with estimated combined annual spending of approximately $5.5 million across 30 districts, structured on cost-plus-fixed-fee pricing indexed to USDA Atlanta Terminal Wholesale Market prices; and Hillsborough County Public Schools' USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program contract (RFP 26RFP034; estimated annual budget $600,000; review date March 12, 2026) supplies specialty fruits and vegetables to 18 elementary schools via cost-plus-fixed-fee-per-case model with GAP certification required. Buy American provisions (minimum 51 percent domestic content where applicable), HACCP and food safety compliance, traceability documentation, liability insurance ($500,000–$2,000,000 minimums typical), and compliance with federal nutrition standards (whole grain, sodium, no artificial additives) appear consistently across opportunities. Pricing structures vary—firm fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee indexed to commodity markets, and weekly escalator/de-escalator models tied to USDA pricing indices—reflecting the volatility of fresh-produce supply chains and budget constraints in institutional food service. Activity remains robust and geographically dispersed; the market shows active procurement from late winter through summer across elementary, middle, and high school nutrition programs preparing for the July 1 start of fiscal years.