USDA facilities for RI

USDA facilities for RI

WASHINGTON (Reuters): The U.S. Agriculture Department is looking at a number of commodities -- including wheat, rice, soybeans and cotton -- for a PL480 package for Indonesia, a USDA aide said on Friday.

USDA General Sales Manager Chris Goldthwait told Reuters he expected the department to announce the package fairly soon, but declined to be more specific than that.

USDA plans to offer the commodities under title I of the PL480 program, which provides developing countries with long-term low- interest loans to buy U.S. agricultural goods.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Agency for International Development is considering a title II food aid donation for Indonesia, Goldthwait said.

On a related subject, USDA recently said it would let banks in Singapore participate in the GSM-102 export credit program for Indonesia.