USDA'S FOOD FOR PROGRESS PROGRAM EXPECTED TO BENEFIT MORE THAN 3.4 MILLION PEOPLE IN EMERGING DEMOCRACIES THIS YEAR

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2010-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA will donate more than $145 million in international assistance under the Food for Progress Program in fiscal year 2010.

"This unique food assistance program furthers the Obama Administration's efforts to introduce and expand free enterprise in the agricultural sector of developing countries and emerging democracies around the world," said Vilsack. "The allocations announced today will benefit more than 3.4 million people in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East by providing access to new opportunities for farmers and rural communities."

Allocations announced today include more than 204,000 metric tons of U.S. rice, soybean oil, soybeans, soy flour, tallow, vegetable oil, wheat and yellow corn that will be purchased on the U.S. market and donated by USDA to foreign governments, cooperatives and private-voluntary, non-profit or intergovernmental organizations. The program targets developing countries and emerging democracies like Uganda, where the program has helped a Ugandan dairy quadruple its sales in one year, and Honduras, where palm oil farmers were able to launch their own refinement plant.

Projects proposed by these entities are chosen based on their agricultural focus, the country's needs, the proposal's quality and the organization's management, experience and financial and technical capabilities. The entities sell the donated U.S. commodities in recipient countries and use the funds raised to implement approved agricultural and rural development projects, while helping to address food shortages.

USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service administers the program, authorized by the Food for Progress Act of 1985. More information is at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/excredits/FoodAid/FFP/foodforprogress.asp

Here is the list of program allocations for FY 2010:

Food for Progress Program

Fiscal Year 2010 Allocations

*Commodities and tonnages are subject to change, pending negotiation of food aid agreements with program participants.

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