questions_and_answers.pdf

Questions and Answers, Solicitation AG-9JGP-S-15-0061

1. The requirement if for a 2 year packet. Packets are stated by slow release of 2 years based on applications made in the Northern US. I believe the climate in which this is being applied will not last for 2 years. There are 3 year packets produced also. I believe it would take a 3 year product would give the results of a 2 year tablet in your area. I just feel this needs to be addressed as I am a potential bidder for this requirement. Bottom Line- If the package states 2 year you should not expect the fertilizer to actually be available that long.

Answer: I have found and used controlled release fertilizer packets that have been shown through independent testing or studies to give 2 to 3 years of fertilizer response in when used in the Sierra Nevada range in eastern California. Although you may think of this area as having a warm climate, we have a Mediterranean climate where we get little to no precipitation during the late spring through early fall. This limits the time that the fertilizer can be released given soil moisture content is a factor in fertilizer release/activation.

If you believe that a 3 year packet is more desirable still, you can use that in your bid.

2. 200,000 packets are being requested within 2 weeks ARO. This is probably impossible for any manufacturer to comply with. The formulation being requested is a custom order. I don’t expect any manufacturer to be able to produce the packets this quickly. I have 105,000 packets of 16-8-8 and 45,000 packets of 16-16-16. These are 3 year bags that could be shipped immediately with any remainder being shipped within the 2 week window.

Answer: Given the short timeframe for this order, we will consider bids for the first

200,000 packets of the order that are outside of the above parameters. An Amendment will be posted to the solicitation to cover this.

3. Can you give me more information about fertilizer packets? What is the size of the bag? The weight? Can you send me a sample photo?

I do not have a picture of the fertilizer packs handy but I can direct you to a couple of companies that have pictures of these types of products. One is Nutripak and the other is

Reforestation Technologies International. Both have websites. The product is basically a

“teabag” with fertilizer pellets inside that are controlled release so that the fertilizer is only released under high soil moisture and within a temperature range. Sometime other control factors may be included (depends on the manufacturer). The ones I have used previously have had between 10 grams and 35 grams of fertilizer material per teabag.