House committee reports resolution urging USDA to buy Louisiana shrimp

The House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development on Oct. 3 reported House Resolution 205 favorably, urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use its Section 32 commodity procurement program to purchase domestic shrimp from Louisiana fishermen.

Representative Kerner, sponsor of HR 205, told the committee that full cold-storage warehouses and an imminent brown shrimp season have pushed dock prices down to below a dollar per pound for some shrimpers. “We just need to get something up there right away,” Kerner said, arguing that a federal purchase commitment would stabilize prices and support local livelihoods.

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain described how the USDA commodity program works, saying it issues requests for proposals and is required to buy domestic product for certain programs such as school meals and food banks. “These USDA commodity programs, it is specific that it must be domestic,” Strain said, noting the creation of a new USDA Office of Seafood that could streamline purchases of Gulf shrimp.

Committee members pressed on logistics and market effects. One member cited federal purchase levels in recent years and asked whether domestic processors and distributors could handle additional product. Kerner and Strain said cold storage and processing capacity are constraints the state is working to address, and members discussed marketing and certification options to help restaurants and institutions verify domestic sourcing.

Representative Bridal moved to report HR 205 favorably. The chair heard no objections and the resolution was reported favorably out of committee by voice vote; the transcript records no roll-call tally.

Why it matters: The resolution is an immediate, nonbinding request to federal officials intended to stimulate demand for Gulf shrimp as the season opens, aiming to intervene where market prices and storage capacity are forcing prices down for local harvesters. If the USDA acts, purchases could route product to schools, food banks and other feeding programs, but members noted implementation will depend on domestic processing and cold-storage capacity.

What happens next: HR 205 will be transmitted to the House floor and, as the sponsor said, to federal delegation offices and USDA officials for consideration.