USDA buys an additional 70MT dehydrated potato flakes for food aid in Africa

An additional 70 MT (10,032.75 cwt fresh weight equivalent) of dehydrated potato flakes (dehy) was purchased by USDA, June 3rd for Africare, a non-governmental organization (NGO) working in Africa. The dehydrated potato flakes will be utilized in programming for severely malnourished children and people living with HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso.

The purchase, a second for the Burkina Faso Africare program, is a direct result of a USPB training and pilot project in Burkina Faso in September 2006 that followed an October 2005 training mission in the US. Due to a number of factors, including application timelines, government budgets and approvals, purchasing schedules and shipping, it typically takes approximately one-two years for a commodity to be purchased by the US government from the time the application is submitted by the NGO.

To date, through the International Food Aid Initiative (IFAI), 8,620 MT of dehy, worth $7,891,835, has been purchased by the US government for use in food assistance programming.