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US lawmakers urged to oppose food aid commodities plan
Friday, 24/03/2006
US farm groups are angry at a plan by the Bush administration to spend almost a quarter of its main food aid program on Australian and European commodities.
Wheat, soy, rice and other minor crops are involved.
The groups have written to US lawmakers urging them to oppose the Bush administration's plan to buy food aid commodities from Australia and others, closer to needy areas like South-East Asia.
US Wheat Associates' Dawn Forsythe says the proposal amounts to as much as $305 million.
"Twenty-five per cent of the budget would be purchased elsewhere. Now, we have a problem with that ... with US taxpayer money going to buy competitors' products," she said.
Ms Forsythe argues it probably is not coincidental that Australia and France, two of America's largest competitors in wheat, are fighting to dismantle US food aid programs in the World Trade Organisation.
Friday, 24/03/2006
US farm groups are angry at a plan by the Bush administration to spend almost a quarter of its main food aid program on Australian and European commodities.
Wheat, soy, rice and other minor crops are involved.
The groups have written to US lawmakers urging them to oppose the Bush administration's plan to buy food aid commodities from Australia and others, closer to needy areas like South-East Asia.
US Wheat Associates' Dawn Forsythe says the proposal amounts to as much as $305 million.
"Twenty-five per cent of the budget would be purchased elsewhere. Now, we have a problem with that ... with US taxpayer money going to buy competitors' products," she said.
Ms Forsythe argues it probably is not coincidental that Australia and France, two of America's largest competitors in wheat, are fighting to dismantle US food aid programs in the World Trade Organisation.
