Free milk for students

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)