UNSPSC 50403905: Fuzzy/hairy melon

The variety of gourds known as fuzzy/hairy melon

UNSPSC 50403905 Fuzzy/hairy melon, a Commodity code, sees sporadic state and local procurement activity centered on fresh-produce supply to school districts, child nutrition programs, and correctional facilities, where governments buy melons as one line item within broader fresh-produce solicitations rather than as a standalone acquisition. School districts across Georgia, Texas, and Florida dominate recent activity, soliciting fresh produce in bulk to support child nutrition reimbursable programs and USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable initiatives; state departments of criminal justice in Texas and Georgia round out the buyer base, sourcing melons and related vegetables for institutional food service. Representative recent opportunities include the Bartow County School System (Georgia) issuing RFP 10-2026-019 for local fresh fruits and vegetables with proposal due June 22, 2026, requiring produce sourced within 400 miles and evaluating bidders on cost, seasonal variety, delivery capability, product availability, and customer support; the Dougherty County Board of Education (Georgia) requesting sealed bids for fresh produce across 40 line items due June 16, 2026, with estimated annual quantities and unit-price bidding; and McAllen Independent School District (Texas) soliciting proposals for fresh produce to 31 campuses with a March 6, 2026 deadline and awards to multiple vendors based on monthly and weekly purchase cycles. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has posted multiple vegetable procurement solicitations, including carrot bids (IW253079, posted June 23, 2026) and white-potato bids (IW253099, IW253121, posted June 2-23, 2026) due the same date through its electronic procurement portal.

Activity concentrates in Georgia and Texas, with secondary presence in Florida, Connecticut, and Missouri. Recent school nutrition solicitations show a consistent pattern: jurisdictions source fresh produce as weekly or monthly deliveries to central warehouses or individual schools, price bids on unit or case bases against USDA market indices or fixed per-pound markups, impose strict quality and food-safety compliance (HACCP, GAP certification, traceability), require domestic-content compliance under the Buy American Act, and award to single or multiple vendors on a line-item basis. Melons appear as one of 40–72 produce line items in these school contracts, typically with annual quantities measured in cases and estimated spend ranging from $600,000 (Hillsborough County, Florida FFVP) to $4.4 million (GEC Buying Cooperative for 30 Georgia school districts). No solicitations in the recent block target melons exclusively, and no opportunities show set-aside or preference designations specific to commodity codes; emphasis falls on vendor experience (minimum three to five years in school or institutional food service), insurance thresholds ($500,000–$2 million general liability), and compliance infrastructure (E-Verify, debarment certification, civil rights assurance).