Action: The Department of Defense (DoD) surcharge on USDA DoD Fresh orders will no longer be deducted from National School Lunch Program (NSLP) entitlement funds in the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Order/Receipt System (FFAVORS). This enhancement will make it easier to compare the price of produce available through the USDA DoD Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program with what can be purchased from other sources.  Additionally, NSLP customers will be able to apply more of their entitlement balance directly to produce purchases.

Why: The DoD surcharge has been applied to all orders since the start of the USDA DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and has been set at 4.6% since October 2007. This often led to prices higher than what you could purchase commercially.

Impact to ACDA Membership: For the last several years, ACDA advocated on behalf of membership regarding the possibility of removing or reducing this fee for USDA Food Distribution Program Recipient Agencies. The elimination of this fee will make USDA Foods purchased through the USDA DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program an even better deal. This is just one more reason that ACDA membership is so valuable!