UNSPSC 50407001: Alfalfa

The type of vegetable known as alfalfa

UNSPSC 50407001 Alfalfa is a Commodity code that, based on recent state and local solicitations, sees minimal direct purchasing activity under its nominal scope. Instead, the recent opportunities tagged with this code predominantly solicit fresh produce, vegetables, and related food service items for school nutrition programs, institutional feeding operations, and child nutrition initiatives—categories that diverge substantially from alfalfa procurement. The issuing bodies are diverse: school districts (Madison Metropolitan, Hillsborough County, Northside Independent, Austin Independent, Henry County, Bryan County, Dougherty County, Liberty County, Bulloch County, Muscogee County, Glynn County, Savannah-Chatham County, Rockwood R-VI, Salt Lake City, and several others), state departments (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, State of Georgia), county systems (Bartow County Schools, Early County, Douglas County), and special food service entities (Head Start of Greater Dallas). State and local procurement activity under this code is concentrated in Texas, Georgia, and Florida, with scattered activity across Connecticut, Utah, and Missouri. Representative recent opportunities include Madison Metropolitan School District's RFB 4163 for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks due July 29, 2026, under the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's multiple IFBs for carrots, sweet potatoes, and white potatoes for institutional canning and food service; and Northside Independent School District's RFP 2026-048 for fresh produce delivery to 117 school campuses due May 7, 2026. School districts dominate the issuing-body mix, with repeat buyers including multiple Georgia county school systems and Texas school districts; TDCJ appears regularly for bulk institutional produce procurement.

The code shows active procurement but represents a taxonomy mismatch—alfalfa is a livestock feed commodity, while state and local governments under this code are actually buying fresh produce, vegetables, fruits, and eggs for human consumption in school meals and institutional food service. Geographic concentration leans toward Texas and Georgia, with secondary activity in Florida and other states. Most opportunities are issued as IFBs or RFPs with response windows of 30 to 60 days, firm pricing requirements, USDA compliance mandates (Buy American provisions, HACCP plans, food safety certifications), and insurance minimums ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000 general liability. Many school district contracts feature weekly delivery requirements, pricing tied to USDA market indices, and multi-year renewal options. Set-asides are uncommon in the recent postings, though some jurisdictions encourage small business and minority-owned business participation. The code activity indicates strong institutional demand for produce supply chains but signals a data classification issue rather than a viable procurement niche for alfalfa vendors.