peas and questions

Black-eyed peas are on their way to Iraq.

Black-eyed peas are a staple of the Iraqi diet. Muleshoe Pea & Bean had black-eyed peas. It was a natural for the two to be linked.

But making it happen in the short window frame allowed by government contracts directed at providing aid to the country has left the small family-owned business scrambling.

The deadline for 70 truckloads of black-eyed peas to be in Houston is Monday, so the pressure is on for Nicky and Ed Nichols, Muleshoe Pea & Bean owners, and their employees.

"We're sending out about 50 of those semi loads," said Deborah Nichols.

Company Yellowstone Bean of Billings, Mont
Subcontractor Muleshoe Pea and Bean Company
Award $1,190,000 (based on June 10th market price)
Agency
Date of RFP
Pre-planning
Date of Award prior to June 14, 2003
Nature of work To ship 3.5 million pounds of black-eyed peas to Iraq.
Reference
Muleshoe black-eyes head to Iraq
By Kay Ledbetter
Amarillo Globe News
June 15, 2003

This might be a subcontract with Skylink. Or, it might be something else. We are not even sure it is being paid as a US government contract. But someone is paying for it so we decided to go ahead and list it below.

If it is a sub with Skylink, it's eating up a very large chunk of their $10.2 million dollar contract. Hmmm.

A Singaporean company has won the contract to deliver cargo and ground services at Baghdad's international airport, a local newspaper said Saturday.

The Straits Times said Singapore Airport Terminal Services - leading a consortium of companies - had secured the contract for the airport due to reopen this month.

The company, which handles cargo at Changi Airport, was one of 50 Singapore companies to tender for business contracts in post-war Iraq.

Company Singapore Airport Terminal Services
Award $5-8 million dollars
Agency
Date of RFP
Pre-planning
Date of Award prior to July 12, 2003
Nature of work To deliver cargo and ground services at Baghdad's international airport
Reference
Singapore firm wins contract for air cargo services at Baghdad Airport
AP
The Star Online
July 12, 2003