USDA Buys $34 Million in Oregon Hazelnuts, Fish
Federal Section 32 purchases of hazelnuts and Pacific whiting follow pressure from the Oregon Congressional Delegation.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Organic Food
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture will purchase $22 million in hazelnuts and $12 million in Pacific whiting fillets under its Section 32 purchase program. The announcement was made by Senator Jeff Merkley alongside the Oregon Congressional Delegation, which had pressed the USDA to include both products this year.
Why it matters
Oregon produces 99 percent of the hazelnuts grown in the United States, so the purchases directly affect the state's nut industry. The buys are intended to support domestic production and distribution during a period of significant market disruption and economic uncertainty.
The USDA is buying $22 million in hazelnuts and $12 million in Pacific whiting under Section 32, and Oregon grows 99 percent of U.S. hazelnuts. The announcement does not detail the timeline for delivery or the specific distribution channels for the purchased goods.
The players
Jeff Merkley
Jeff Merkley is the U.S. Senator from Oregon who announced the purchases alongside the Oregon Congressional Delegation.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is the federal agency that administers the Section 32 purchase program and is making the hazelnut and Pacific whiting buys.
The details
The Oregon Congressional Delegation pressed the USDA to include Pacific whiting and Oregon hazelnuts in this year's Section 32 purchases, and the USDA then announced the buys. The purchases are expected to provide financial assistance that harvesters, processors and producers need to continue operating.
Timeline
Monday, November 2, 2026: Delegation announced the USDA hazelnut and Pacific whiting purchases.
Culture Shift
The Section 32 program, authorized under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935, is the USDA's mechanism for buying surplus commodities to support producers. These Oregon hazelnut and Pacific whiting purchases continue that tradition of using federal buying power to stabilize specialty agricultural and seafood markets.
Oregon hazelnut growers, seafood processors and related workers may see the federal purchases help sustain their operations during current market conditions. Consumers should look for these products in the USDA's food distribution channels as the purchases move through the supply chain.
The takeaway
Federal purchase programs like Section 32 can provide a financial lifeline to specialty crops and seafood when markets are disrupted. Readers in Oregon and beyond should watch how these buys affect hazelnut and whiting supply and prices in the months ahead.
Further reading
For more on how federal buying shapes regional food production, explore Organic Food coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KQEN News Radio.
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