IBM has been selected as one of the five large business awards by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Mission Area in a blanket purchase agreement (BPA), the company reported on Tuesday. The estimated worth of the combined task orders to be separately competed under this BPA is $620 million over five years.
FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs and technical assistance, and commodity, lending and disaster programs.
"Technology has incredible potential to transform the way governments serve citizens and accomplish critical missions. IBM is proud to have the opportunity to work with the USDA to help achieve higher levels of digital modernization," said Jay Bellissimo, IBM's general manager, U.S. Public Sector and Federal Market.
Under the multi-award BPA, IBM will provide software development services and support USDA's digital modernization. IBM will compete to advance modernize legacy applications that support the conservation programs. These programs will be administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Services Agency (FSA).
"Our team is ready to bring our experience in application modernization to help FPAC deliver modernized systems that assist the conservationists in helping farmers and ranchers reduce soil erosion, enhance water supplies, improve water quality, increase wildlife habitats and reduce damage caused by natural disasters," Bellissimo added.
IBM’s award will add to the company’s history of supporting USDA across a variety of projects with FPAC, the Forest Service, the Food Safety and Inspection Service and Agriculture Marketing Service.
