WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2005 - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced plans for $125 million in international food assistance under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food for Progress program for fiscal year 2005. The commodity donations will benefit 16 countries in Africa, Asia (including Central Asia), Latin America and the Middle East.

"America will continue to answer the call of those in need around the world as part of a long tradition of sharing our agricultural abundance with others," Johanns said. "This food aid program supports economic reforms and development that can help lift people out of poverty and lead to more productive, open, entrepreneurial societies."

The Food for Progress allocations announced today include more than 300,000 metric tons of U.S. wheat and flour, corn, rice, soy products, vegetable oils, beans and other commodities that will be purchased on the U.S. market and donated by USDA. The commodities will go to nonprofit organizations and the United Nations World Food Program to support agricultural and rural development projects, while helping to address food shortages. The development projects are funded by sales of the donated U.S. commodities within the recipient countries.

In Afghanistan, for example, the U.S. donation to Mercy Corps will benefit around 30,000 farmers and their families by funding plant nurseries, irrigation improvements and research to revive fruit and nut production. In the West African country of Niger, Catholic Relief Services will assist 1,500 sesame producers, mainly women, and up to 100,000 people overall by promoting private sector production, processing and marketing. In Honduras, Zamorano will use sales proceeds from the U.S. rice to fund university scholarships for agriculture and rural studies for disadvantaged youth.

Selection criteria for this year's projects emphasized the following objectives: helping countries fill food and nutritional gaps; assisting countries with trade-capacity building and other economic and market transitions under trade agreements; and helping countries recover from conflicts.

For each announced donation, detailed agreements must still be negotiated. In the coming weeks, decisions will be made on additional fiscal 2005 Food for Progress donations that will be funded under P.L. 480, Title I, for foreign governments and nonprofit organizations. The Food for Progress Act of 1985 provides for USDA donations of agricultural commodities to developing countries and emerging democracies to encourage economic or agricultural reforms that foster free enterprise.

USDA also provides foreign food assistance through the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, and through Section 416(b) of the Agricultural Act of 1949. Last year, under its fiscal 2004 food assistance programs, USDA supplied more than 1 million metric tons of U.S. food aid commodities valued at $375 million to about 80 countries around the world.

A list of today's Food for Progress allocations follows.