Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and Madagascar's Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Harison Randriarimanana signed a Food For Progress agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance the agricultural trade and technical assistance between the United States and Madagascar.
(I-Newswire) - "President Bush often stresses that we lead by example," said Johanns. "Today, the United States is expanding its partnership with Madagascar to celebrate its success in embracing political and economic reform that advances the freedoms and opportunities available to Madagascar's citizens. We are proud to assist countries like Madagascar that are well governed, invest in people and encourage economic and personal freedom."
The first Bush cabinet member to travel to Madagascar, Johanns had numerous meetings with the government of Madagascar's President Marc Ravolomanana, including several meetings with the President, Prime Minister Jacques Sylla, Foreign Minister Ranjeva and Agriculture Minister Randriarimanana. Johanns also participated in tours of several local agricultural operations with U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar James McGee to see first-hand the opportunities and challenges for Madagascar's agricultural sector.
The Food for Progress agreement, valued at $10 million, was signed at an event attended by President Ravolomanana. It will provide for 15,000 metric tons of soybeans, 3,000 tons of wheat and 500 tons of nonfat dry milk that will be sold by the government of Madagascar and use the proceeds to establish a national agricultural statistics system, strengthen agricultural regulatory policies and commodity standards, conduct a school milk program in rural villages and provide farmer training in cooperatives, marketing and credit.
The Food for Progress program provides for donations of agricultural commodities to needy countries to encourage economic or agricultural reforms that foster free enterprise. This year, USDA expects to donate more than 300,000 tons of U.S. commodities, valued at around $125 million, to 16 countries under the Food for Progress Program. The supply period for this donation to Madagascar is September-December 2005.
Johanns also signed an MOU that will launch activities in the area of rural development to help address economic, environmental and social challenges; capacity building in trade to help facilitate export and promotion of agriculture products from Madagascar to the U.S. and agricultural research, extension and education to help farmers learn better farming practices that increase yields and income.
Johanns noted that USDA already has a good relationship with Madagascar, working in such areas as pest risk assessment and forestry. Under the Cochran Fellowship Program, which provides short-term training in the United States to increase trade links with U.S. agribusinesses, the first Cochran Fellows from Madagascar came to the United States in June to assess the U.S. market for litchi fruit and to develop contacts with U.S. buyers.
This month, two scientists from Madagascar's Ministry of Agriculture will come to the United States to develop a pest risk assessment for the export of litchi fruit. USDA's Forest Service has been working with Madagascar on a national environmental action plan to cut the rate of forest loss, while trying to implement sustainable development and economic growth initiatives.
Madagascar has been recognized for its work to improve its governance, personal freedoms of its citizens and economic performance by being selected as the first recipient nation of the Millennium Challenge Account. The four year nearly $110 million grant will support initiatives to address the greatest obstacles to development in Madagascar. The grant will help to bring people in rural areas better access to credit, develop an effective land titling system and provide technical assistance and training for farmers to increase their production.
Last Modified: 07/17/2005
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