87 -- HAY, ALFALFA

The purpose of this amendment is to change the NAICS Code to 424910. The small business standard is not to exceed 100 employees. As a result of this amendment the due date for submission of quotations has been extended to close of business day September 14, 2005. **********************************************************************************************************************************This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial supplies prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 12.6, and supplemental information included in this notice. Simplified procurement procedures will be used as well as commercial item acquisition regulations per FAR 12. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The reference number for this effort is APVSERA1-0001-6 and the solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). The provisions and clauses incorporated into this solicitation document are those in effect at the time of publication. Provisions and clauses incorporated by reference have the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. The full text of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) can be accessed on the Internet at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/ This is set aside for small business. The associated NAICS Code is 111940 and the small business standard is not to exceed $750,000. This requirement consists of two line items: (1) Provide hay, alfalfa, heavy grass mix of up to 180 tons alfalfa heavy grass mix. (2) Provide up to 10 tons of alfalfa second cutting.. Specifications as follows: ******************************************SPECIFICATIONS Item #1: Alfalfa, Heavy Grass Mix A. Mixture percentages: The mixture of alfalfa and grasses will not exceed 70% grasses. B. Leafiness of alfalfa: Fifty percent or more of the stems will have no less than one-fifth of the leaves clinging. C. Color: No less than 66 percent green color. D. Maturity: Alfalfa shall be in early to mid-maturity stages. Hay in which a majority of the alfalfa stalks bear brown and/or black seed will not meet these requirements. E. Foreign material: No greater than 5 percent. F. Non-injurious foreign material: No greater than 5 percent. G. Conditions: Hay shall have a good odor and shall not be under-cured, heating, hot, wet, dusty, moldy, caked, badly broken, badly weathered, or otherwise of distinct low quality. H. Moisture percentage: At time of delivery, moisture percentage will be no less than 12 percent and no greater than 20 percent. I. Injurious foreign material: Shall be free of injurious foreign material. Item #2: Alfalfa, Second Cutting A. Mixture Percentages: Alfalfa shall be no greater than 10 percent other legumes or grasses. B. Leafiness of alfalfa: Fifty percent or more of the stems shall have no less than one-fifth of the leaves clinging. C. Color: No less than 66 percent green color. D. Maturity: Alfalfa shall be in early- to mid-maturity stages. Hay in which a majority of the alfalfa stalks bear brown and/or black seed till not meet these requirements. E. Non-injurious foreign material: No greater than 5 percent. F. Condition: Hay shall have a good odor and shall not be under-cured, heating, hot, wet, dusty, moldy, caked, badly broken, badly weathered, or otherwise of distinct low quality. G. Moisture percentage: At time of delivery, moisture percentage will be no less than 12 percent and no greater than 20 percent. H. Injurious foreign material: Shall be free of injurious foreign material. The hay shall be delivered in solid, rectangular bales, tired with rat-and rot-proof twine. Bales that are ragged, vary in length, have wire or twine of unequal tension, unsightly or difficult to handle, or broken will not be accepted. Each bale shall not weigh less than 50 pounds nor more than 75 pounds. NOTE: A variance of 5% will be allowed to accommodate delivery of full loads. Hay shall be delivered directly from storage facilities via clean vehicles not used in the transportation of livestock. DEFINITIONS 1. Foreign material: Will be any, but not limited to: a) weeks; b) certain grasses, if mature, such as wild-rye, annual bromegrass, pigeon grass (foxtail); c) sedges/rushes that are coarse and woody; and d) other objectionable matter which occurs in May. 2. Non-injurious foreign material: Will be any of the following, but not limited to: a) weed, b) coarse or woody plants, c) cornstalks or corn stubble, and d) other objectionable material in the hay. 3. Injurious foreign material: Includes, but is not limited to, hardware, such as wire, nails and other materials considered harmful to livestock. 4. Color: Percentage of green color means the amount of green color in field cured hay computed as a percentage, based on the amount of green color remaining after allowing for maturity, sun bleach, dew, rain, or other damage. INSPECTION Inspection will take place within 5 working days from receipt of delivery, at the consignee's premises. Deliveries that are deemed not to be in compliance with the specifications are to be removed within 5 calendar days. Replacement hay shall be delivered at the time the rejected hay is removed. If a dispute arises, the hay will be inspected by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets within 10 calendar days of delivery. Their decision is final. The cost of the inspection will be paid by the New York Department of Agriculture & Markets will not be accepted. DELIVERIES Deliveries shall be made within 7 calendar days after receipt of an order. The order may be oral or written and will be issued as hay is required. Deliveries shall be made between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. Deliveries may be required, in an emergency, on Saturdays, Sundays, or Federal holidays. ***************************************************************************** Deliverables and acceptance of deliverables will be at USDA APHIS New York Animal Import Center, 200 Drury Lane, Rock Tavern, New York 12575. A fixed price purchase order will result and delivery orders will be placed against this purchase order on an as needed basis per verbal order, F.O.B. destination. The provision at 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors - Commercial applies to this solicitation. The provision at 52.212-2 Evaluation - Commercial Items applies to this solicitation. Fixed Price Award will be made to the lowest price technically acceptable responsible bidder whose quote conforms to this solicitation. The provision 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items applies to this solicitation. The contractor shall return a completed copy of the Offeror Representations and Certifications with their quotation. A copy of the provision may be attained from http://www.arnet.gov/far. The clause at 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. The clause at 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The following FAR clauses identified in FAR 52.212-5 are considered checked and are applicable to this acquisition: 52.222-3 Convict Labor; 52.222-19 Child Labor – Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies; 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity; 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-22 Previous Contracts and Compliance Reports; 52.222-35 Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans; 52.222-25 Affirmative Action Compliance; 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.222-35 Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans; 52.225-1 Buy American Act; 52.225-2 Buy American Certificate; 52.225-3 Buy American Act – North American Free Trade Agreement-Israeli Trade Act; 52.225-4 Buy American Act North American Free Trade Agreement-Israeli Trade Act Certificate; 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases; 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer Central Contractor Registration (CCR). To be awarded this contract, the offeror must be registered in the CCR. CCR information may be found at http://www.ccr.gov. Quotations are due to the United States Department of Agriculture, Minneapolis Contracting Office, 100 North Sixth Street, Butler Square, 5th Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55403 by 10:00 AM CST, September 9, 2005. Faxed quotes are acceptable. The assigned Purchasing Agent is Ms. Jayne Frommes. Ms Frommes may be reached at [email protected], (612) 336-3221 or by fax at (612) 370-2136 A COMPLETE QUOTE WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING: 1) Price for each line item, which provides the price per unit. 2) Signature of the offeror on the page which lists the price. 3). Quotes should be of sufficient detail to determine their adequacy. 4) A completed copy of the provisions at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items or confirmation that this has been completed on-line. If an offerors quote does not contain all of the items listed above, the quote may be considered incomplete for evaluation purposes and no further consideration will be given to the offerors quote, thereby making an offeror ineligible for award.