The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is always interested in learning how to both make participation in the AMS purchase program more attractive to prospective vendors and as commercial-like as possible to ensure AMS is obtaining safe and wholesome products at the most competitive price. AMS understands that when we institute unique requirements, we become less commercial-like and add costs to the products we purchase.
To further discuss this issue, the AMS Livestock, Poultry, and Seed Program (LPS) will convene a Special Session from 8 to 11 AM on Day One, October 27, 2015, of the AMS annual Industry Conference in Arlington, Virginia (http://www.ams.usda.gov/event/2015-annual-industry-meeting-usda-food-contractors-and-suppliers).
To help ensure the success of the session and to assist us in identifying what unnecessary costs are a part of our purchase program, can you identify specific differences between the general commercial specifications used by your company or by other large institutional buyers and those required by AMS?
Please provide your feedback by October 1, 2015, to Carl Schroeder, Director, Food Safety and Commodity Specification Division, LPS, AMS, at (202) 692-0342 or at carl.schroeder@ams.usda.gov.