The USDA has announced a $100 million purchase of fresh and processed apples to alleviate the marketplace from this year’s abundant harvest.
Michigan Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Association’s Dawn Drake says Section 32 purchases help reduce excess inventories and support farmers.
“It’s very uncommon quite frankly,” she says. “We only approach USDA to make a Section 32 purchase when we know that there really is no other outlet for all of these apples.”
She says USDA has previously made Section 32 apple purchases in 2022 and 2016 because of record crops.
