Release No. 0363.02

George Chartier (202) 720-8998
Billy Cox (202) 720-8998

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2002 -- Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will purchase up to 30 million pounds of sweet potato products for donation to schools, neighborhood shelters and other institutions.

"This purchase will provide recipients of our federal food programs with good, nutritious and quality food products," said Secretary Veneman. "The sweet potato crop is abundant this year, providing an opportunity to share these products with schools and other domestic food agencies."

USDA has already purchased 654,000 pounds of sweet potato products this fiscal year and today's announcement could bring the total up to 30.6 million pounds of fresh, canned and frozen sweet potatoes, compared to 12.5 million pounds in fiscal year 2001, 6 million pounds in fiscal year 2000, and 7.4 million pounds in fiscal year 1999.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service regularly purchases a variety of high-quality food products for distribution by the Food and Nutrition Service to the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, the Nutrition Program for the Elderly, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program. USDA also makes emergency purchases of commodities for distribution to victims of natural disasters.

In fiscal year 2001, AMS purchased 1.7 billion pounds of food worth over $1 billion for federal feeding programs, including 192 million pounds of beef, pork, lamb and fish; 229 million pounds of eggs, chicken and other poultry products; and 1.3 billion pounds of fruits and vegetables.

With today's announcement of USDA's intention to buy, FNS will survey potential recipients to determine how much product will be accepted for shipping. AMS will seek the lowest overall cost by publicly inviting bids to supply the desired quantity and by awarding contracts to responsible bidders.

Government food experts work to ensure that all the food they purchase is healthful and nutritious. Food items are normally required to be low in fat, sugar, and sodium. The commodities must meet specified grade requirements and be USDA-inspected or graded to ensure quality. AMS purchases only products of 100 percent domestic origin.

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