J_A_Pesticide_Use_Data_Back_Years_Redacted_1.pdf

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR ACQUISITION UNDER THE

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

1. Contracting Agency and Activity.

The Department of the Interior (DOI), United States Geological Survey (USGS), National Acquisition Branch, intends to contract on a sole source basis. This document sets forth the justification and approval as required by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

2. Nature of Action Being Approved.

The USGS, Water Resources Availability Program (WRAP), requests award of a non-competitive purchase order to Kynetec USA Inc (Kynetec) for agricultural pesticide use and seed trait data in the United States. Delivery of the data is expected to take place within 30 days of contract award.

3. Description of Supplies or Services.

The proposed contract action is for the purchase of approximately 323 pesticide compounds with seed trait data tracked in Kynetec’s FarmTrak™ CP U.S. Study for harvest years 2019 through 2023. The data contains annual use information on the amount and distribution of pesticide and genetically modified crop in the U.S. The data is needed for the USGS Water Quality Processes Program to study the effects of pesticides on water quality. Annual use estimates are required for major crops and all significant active pesticide ingredients for all Crop Reporting Districts (CRD) in the U.S. Annual use statistics are required for approximately 323 pesticides not previously purchased for 2019 through 2023.

4. Estimated Dollar Value.

The total estimated price of 2019 through 2023 data not previously purchased is .

5. Statutory Authority.

The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR 13.106- 1(b)(1) – only one source reasonably available.

6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5.

Kynetec is the only provider of annual use coefficients for all significant active pesticide ingredients on all major crops and seed trait data per CRD across the conterminous U.S.

Information is collected annually based on a statistical sample of 432 sub-state CRDs, which represent multi-county areas within a state that share similar crop management practices and growing conditions. Kynetec is uniquely qualified because they are the only entity, public or private, that supplies the required data on an annual basis at the CRD spatial resolution. The data are developed from a proprietary statistical survey employing one-on-one detailed surveys of thousands of growers. No other firm or Federal agency provides the same or similar data.

Sole Source Justification Pesticide Use Data

Purchase Request: 40653546

7. Other Information.

None

8. The Efforts to Identify Additional Sources Including the Market Research Conducted.

Market research was conducted between February and March 2023 and consisted of a review of mandatory and established sources including AbilityOne, DOI strategic sourcing mandatory use contracts, and department-wide contract vehicles. No potential sources from mandatory or established sources were identified.

The General Services Administration (GSA) eLibrary and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) tool were also queried using the applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, 541910, along with various terms to narrow search results including agriculture, crop, and pesticide. Of all the searches, only four (4) results were returned on the DSBS tool using the NAICS code and the keyword “agriculture.” After a review of the capabilities narrative for each of the four (4) firms, it was determined that none of the firms collect and aggregate the pesticide, crop, and seed trait data required.

Web searches were conducted using various combinations of search terms including “private survey pesticide use,” “pesticide use data,” “agricultural chemical usage,” and “agricultural research.” Top search results were examined, and it was found that the results primarily consisted of Federal and State government sources such as the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Agricultural Chemical Use database, National Center for good & Agricultural Policy (NCFAP) National Pesticide Use Database, California Department of Pesticide Regulation Pesticide Use Reporting (PUR), various college studies, and various U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports. Some private and non-profit organizations, such as Hygeia Analytics Pesticide Usage Data System, were also found to publish pesticide usage data. However, none of the Federal and State government sites were found to provide a current, annual, data set for all significant pesticides, all major crops, and seed trait data reported at the CRD level for the entire conterminous U.S. Upon examination, it was also of found that the private and non-profit organization sites simply re-publish publicly available information from the Federal and State government sources including USGS’s National Water-Quality Assessment Project (NAWQA), which this acquisition is intended to support. No other entity was found to survey the industry and produce an independent dataset that will fully support the

WRAP.

Market research failed to identify any source in addition to Kynetec who has the ability to provide current, annual, comprehensive data set for the entire conterminous U.S. at the geographic granularity required.