UNSPSC 50304629: Long gray melons

The variety of melons known as long gray melons

UNSPSC 50304629 Long gray melons is a Commodity code that captures state and local procurement of fresh produce, particularly fruit and vegetable supply and delivery to institutional food-service operations. The recent opportunities show heavy demand from correctional and mental health facilities, school districts, child care programs, and senior services for fresh produce delivered on recurring schedules—bi-weekly to daily, depending on the facility type and service model. School districts dominate the activity, soliciting for National School Lunch Program and breakfast service across multiple sites; correctional and mental health agencies solicit for inmate and patient meals; child care and senior programs procure for meal compliance with CACFP and other federal nutrition standards. The work spans full-line grocery procurement (where produce is one category among many) and standalone fresh-produce contracts where produce is the sole commodity. Vendors encounter Buy American requirements under 7 CFR 210.21(d) mandating domestic sourcing, prevailing-wage compliance in certain states like Illinois, HACCP food-safety plans, extensive insurance minimums ($500,000 to $1 million general liability), and local or regional-vendor preference scoring in many jurisdictions.

Issuing bodies include state corrections departments (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Illinois Department of Corrections), county school systems across Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Wisconsin, and Connecticut, city school boards (Bridgeport, Edinburg), county health facilities, regional health care coalitions, senior services divisions, and special programs such as Head Start. Texas and Georgia dominate recent posting volume, followed by Illinois, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Mississippi. Representative recent opportunities include the Texas Department of Criminal Justice soliciting fresh fruit and vegetables for the Snyder Food Warehouse (RFQ IW267420, due October 14, 2026); Madison Metropolitan School District requesting petite bananas (RFB 4162, due July 29, 2026, estimated annual value $78,000); the Dougherty County Board of Education School Nutrition Program requesting fresh produce across 24 sites (IFB, bids due June 16, 2026); and Bartow County School System seeking local fresh fruits and vegetables sourced within 400 miles (RFP 10-2026-019, bids due June 22, 2026). Many contracts carry one-year terms with renewal options extending two to four additional years. Award cycles typically run 60 days post-bid opening.