United States: NPC urges passage of food aid funding

National Potato Council (NPC) has signed onto a letter with many other groups requesting Chairman Byrd (D-WV) of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member Cochran (R-MS)  include additional funding for PL 480 Title II food aid in the Senate emergency supplemental bill.  The requested amounts are $850 million in FY 2008 and $395 million for FY 2009.  The letter also requests increased levels for disaster aid and development assistance in order to respond more fully to the hunger crisis.  The potato industry, led by the U.S. Potato Board (USPB) has a successful program to include dehydrated potatoes in food aid programs