USDA, FSA, KCMO, ASD; P. O. Box 419205; Kansas City, MO 64141-6205

B -- SPECIAL STUDIES AND ANALYSIS - NOT R&D POC: Alice J. Murphy, Contracting Officer (816-926-1244). Development of regional price estimates for landscape nursery plants to further the loss valuation capabilities of the Office of Risk Management's Nursery Insurance Program. The Research and Evaluation Branch (REB) of the Office of Risk Management (ORM) of the United States Department of Agriculture has a requirement to improve its nursery plant valuation capabilities in its nursery insurance program. The contractor must have in-depth knowledge of and experience in establishing nursery crop prices on a regional basis. The price listing prepared for ORM is expected to cover the Continental United States in at least ten distinct pricing regions acceptable to the nursery industry. The price listing is expected to cover in excess of 5,000 and as many as 8,000 nursery plants. Each species must be priced at the various sizes normally marketed in the wholesale nursery industry. Each plant species must be identified by scientific name and be cross referenced to synonymous names commonly used. The price listing must be updated annually. The price list must be available in electronic and paper format. The electronic format must include software with the capability to provide comparable prices, retrieve data when minimal information is entered, search for a plant species based on scientific or common name, and integrate a photograph of the plant in question. All services must be available by August of 1997. Submissions should include organization name, address, primary point of contact, phone and fax number, and comprehensive explanations of how your organization meets these requirements. Closing date for submissions of responses is fifteen (15) days from publication of this notice. Please submit your interest in writing to: USDA, FSA, KCMO, ASD, ATTN: Alice J. Murphy, P.O. Box 419205, Kansas City, Missouri 64141-6205. (156)

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