USDA to give wheat, soybean meal to Indonesia

JAKARTA (JP): The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Tuesday it would donate approximately 10,000 metric tons of soybean meal and 30,000 metric tons of wheat to Indonesia, in order to support the latter's agricultural development and local noodle makers.

In a statement made available to The Jakarta Post, the general sales manager of USDA's Foreign Agricultural Services, Christopher E. Goldthwait, said the 30,000 metric tons of wheat would be given to the International Relief and Development, a private voluntary organization, for monetization in Indonesia.

The organization would use the wheat as in-kind loans to small-scale noodle producers in the greater Jakarta area who have suffered as a result of the economic crisis.

Proceeds from the sale of the noodles will be used to start a revolving credit fund that can be utilized by other noodle producers in the area.

Goldthwait said the soybean meal would be given to ACDI/VOCA, also a private voluntary organization, which would sell the commodity through a competitive bidding process to Indonesian buyers.

Proceeds from the sales would then be used for agricultural development in Indonesia, such as the advancement of local small and medium-sized poultry producers.

Goldthwait said both donations would be made under USDA's Food for progress program. Deliveries are scheduled for the 1999/2000 fiscal year. (gis)