Free milk for students

YOGYAKARTA: The government has launched a free milk program for 500,000 elementary school students here in a bid to overcome malnutrition, which has affected children during the economic turmoil.

State Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin said here on Tuesday that under the United States-sponsored program, the students of 3,000 schools across the province will receive milk three times a week for about 40 consecutive weeks.

Saefuddin said the U.S. government donated 6,500 tons of powder milk, 5,000 of which would be saved for the students and the rest was to be distributed to breast-feeding mothers.

He also said the U.S. had pledged food assistance worth US$100 million. "The food supplies are expected to arrive in October," he said. (44/edt)