9250-27-R-RFIN-00011

Mississippi State University is seeking a sole source purchase of experimental catfish diets under solicitation 9250-27-R-RFIN-00011, with proposals due September 17, 2026. The procurement is restricted to Fish Belt Feeds, Inc., located in Moorhead, Mississippi, which the university has determined is the only supplier capable of meeting the technical and logistical requirements.

The scope comprises two custom diet formulations, each containing 28% crude protein — a control diet with approximately 3% lipid and a treatment diet with approximately 6% lipid — to be manufactured in 10-ton production batches using feed ingredients representative of those used by commercial producers in the Mississippi Delta. The diets are intended to evaluate the effects of elevated dietary lipid concentration on catfish growth performance, feed efficiency, fillet yield, fillet quality, and overwinter survival. The research was requested by the Board of Directors of Fish Belt Feeds and regional catfish producers following laboratory research demonstrating superior catfish performance on higher-lipid diets. Ingredient consistency is specified as critical to ensure observed treatment differences are attributable solely to lipid concentration rather than protein source variations.

The total procurement is anticipated to require approximately 300 tons of feed over the study period. The estimated contract value is approximately $127,500, based on $425 per ton delivered, though pricing remains subject to commodity market fluctuations. Mississippi State University conducted market outreach to competing regional manufacturers, including Delta Western Feed, but determined Fish Belt Feeds is the sole source meeting equipment specifications, production schedule requirements, and facility storage limitations.

Interested parties may submit written notice of objection to Jennifer Mayfield, Director of Procurement Services, within the stated timeframe, contending that the commodity is not sole source and proposing alternative sources with supporting documentation.