USDA to supply 250,000 tons of food aid for 2004 Food for Progress

USDA to supply 250,000 tons of food aid for 2004 Food for Progress    The U.S. Department of Agriculture will allocate 250,000 metric tons of food aid to the Food for Progress program in fiscal year 2004.
   These allocations, valued at $115 million, include U.S. wheat and flour, rice, vegetable oils, soybeans and soy products, corn, beans, peas and other commodities that will be bought on the U.S. market and donated by USDA. The commodities will go to private voluntary organizations, such as the United Methodist Committee on Relief, Catholic Relief Services, and Mercy Corps, and the United Nations World Food Program to support agricultural development projects.
   The USDA said development projects are funded by the sales of donated commodities within the recipient countries. In Honduras, for example, the program will help to create cooperative distribution systems and help small farmers diversify their crops.
   For each donation, USDA must still negotiate detailed agreements, which will be announced when completed. Other Food for Progress programs, such as P.L. 480, Title I; Section 416(b) of the 1949 Agricultural Act; and the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program will be announced in the coming weeks, USDA said.
   “USDA provided over $500 million in international food assistance under our 2003 programs, and we hope to contribute a similar amount for 2004,” said Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman in a statement.