UNSPSC 50407022: Dasheen

The type of vegetable known as dasheen

UNSPSC 50407022 Dasheen, a Commodity code, encompasses fresh produce items—specifically root vegetables and leafy greens—that state and local governments procure for institutional food service, school nutrition programs, and USDA-funded child nutrition initiatives. Recent state and local solicitations under this code show demand concentrated in school districts and specialized nutrition programs procuring fresh produce for meal service, though dasheen itself appears rarely as a standalone line item; instead, the code sits within broader fresh-produce procurement streams alongside carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables supplied to institutional kitchens. Issuing bodies include school districts (ranging from small rural districts to large urban systems), state criminal-justice food services, Head Start programs, senior services, and school nutrition authorities. School districts dominate recent activity, with multiple concurrent procurements from Georgia (Bartow County, Dougherty County, Bryan County, Glynn County, Douglas County via the GEC cooperative), Texas (Northside Independent School District, McAllen ISD, Austin ISD), Florida (Hillsborough County Public Schools), Connecticut (Meriden Public Schools), and Missouri (Rockwood R-VI). The Texas Department of Criminal Justice also appears repeatedly, procuring bulk produce including carrots, white potatoes, and sweet potatoes for institutional meal service.

Recent opportunities show school districts issuing RFPs and IFBs for fresh produce contracts with response dates spanning March through June 2026 and contract terms running July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Representative procurements include Bartow County Schools (RFP 10-2026-019 for local fresh fruits and vegetables within 400 miles, due June 22, 2026); Dougherty County Board of Education (sealed bids for 40 produce line items including carrots, lettuce, potatoes, and tomatoes, due June 16, 2026); Northside Independent School District in San Antonio (RFP 2026-048 for USDA Child Nutrition Reimbursable-compliant fresh produce delivered five days weekly, due May 7, 2026); and Douglas County Schools (RFP SN 26-004 through the GEC Buying Cooperative covering 30 school districts in Georgia with approximately $5.5 million annual spend, due March 4, 2026). Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa issued an RFP for the federally funded Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) with an estimated annual budget of $600,000 (due March 11, 2026), while Head Start of Greater Dallas procured 32,409 cases of frozen and fresh produce meeting CACFP requirements with an estimated value of $969,460.94 (due June 24, 2026). Geographic concentration is heaviest in Georgia and Texas; secondary activity appears in Florida, Missouri, Connecticut, and Arizona. Set-asides and preferences vary—some procurements emphasize local or regional sourcing (Wisconsin's Madison Metropolitan School District and Georgia's Bartow County both impose 400-mile sourcing filters), while others apply diverse-owned business discounts or HUB preferences where state law permits.