Latest news with #FeedtheFuture
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas State University ag research lab only one to get nod from feds to continue work
Feed the Future labs work internationally to study agricultural issues. Kansas State University has the only lab out of 17 that survived USAID funding cuts. Here, KSU was part of a conference in Senegal that addressed water accessibility. (Submitted) TOPEKA — The Trump administration defunded 16 of 17 Feed the Future labs across the country when it began wiping out U.S. Agency for International Development projects. After months in limbo, Kansas State University found out its lab is the lone survivor. Two K-State labs that are part of the Feed the Future network received stop work orders in January. In early April, K-State officials received notice that the Climate Resilient Cereals Innovation Lab could resume work, said Timothy J. Dalton, professor of agricultural economics and interim director of the lab. The second lab, the Feed the Future Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab, which had a $50 million cooperative agreement for its operations, was terminated. Dalton is unsure what the future funding will be for the Cereals lab. The original cooperative agreement allocated $22 million for five years. 'We are just completing our second year,' he said. 'We receive our funding in annual increments. We'll see what happens once this fiscal year ends.' Dalton is pleased to continue the work the Cereals lab began, which involves collaborations with universities around the country, and with national agricultural research systems in Senegal, Ethiopia and Bangladesh. But he's concerned about the long-term impacts of ending 16 labs, each of which was doing work that affects farmers in the United States. University spokeswoman Michelle Geering said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran was helpful in getting the funding reinstated. 'K-State's innovation lab is helping bolster American agriculture by creating crops that are resistant to drought and disease,' Moran said in a press release. 'I appreciate (U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio) for recognizing the importance of the work being done at Kansas State University and supporting the continuation of this program.' The research work at all the labs has implications internationally as well as for U.S. agriculture. Giving credit to another professor, Dalton borrowed an analogy to describe what the 17 Feed the Future labs were designed to do. 'We train our military to go and fight battles overseas in order to prevent similar problems from occurring in the United States,' Dalton said. 'It's a similar argument. What we're doing with the Innovation lab mechanism is working on very similar problems that just happen to be food-related.' Dalton said aligning with other countries to solve agriculture challenges like crop disease resistance pays off for the United States by preparing U.S. farmers for when those same issues come here, which they eventually do, he said. For example, research in the 1980s to protect farms in southern Africa from the sugarcane aphid helped U.S. farmers with managing the greenbug aphid, Dalton said. 'I have always expressed my deepest concern about the halting of any international collaborative work, that it's really going to fall on the shoulders of farmers because they're the ones who are not getting the type of research to get out in front of these challenges that they will face,' Dalton said. Dalton also raised concerns that halting support for the other 16 labs sets agricultural research back because of the long-term, slow path that research sometimes takes. Researchers are usually tied to the crop cycles, so they may only be able to do investigations in the fields during certain times. 'The work in Ethiopia has had tremendous impacts, but it started half a century ago,' he said. 'Because ag research moves slowly and it's all about persistence over time, rather than stop-and-go funding, you have to think about protecting the long-run interests.' Work will now continue in the Climate Resilient Cereals Lab, where they focus on researching four cereal grains: sorghum, millet, wheat and rice. In Senegal, research is focused on wheat and sorghum. It's on the border of the Sahara Desert, Dalton said, where it's always hot and dry, allowing them to study wheat that is exposed to heat and drought. Those are two issues that regularly affect Kansas farmers. Work studying rice in Bangladesh considers, among other things, the genes that rice varieties harbor that are resistant to disease. Identifying ways to fight rice blast, a fungal infection that destroys rice crops around the world, is part of that research. Dalton said sorghum research is important because there are fewer researchers focused on it than on other grains. More than 50% of U.S. sorghum is grown in Kansas. 'There are so many more questions left to be answered about sorghum because it hasn't had that intense level of research,' he said.
Arab News
27-03-2025
- Business
- Arab News
End of USAID should not mean the end of US support to Africa
Even when it comes to international aid and assistance, strategic geopolitical interests are at play. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this month announced the results of the review of programs carried out by the US Agency for International Development. It translated into 83 percent of aid being cut and the resulting impact on many African countries has reignited debates on the competition between the US and China on the continent and the heightened risk of humanitarian crises. Even if competition for influence in Africa is real, framing this under great power competition is a mistake. Indeed, both countries have taken a very different approach and this closure will probably not change China's plans, which are set in the long term. Moreover, USAID did not stop China from increasing its influence. However, this brings a potential new approach for US support — an approach that supports greater African responsibility and transparency. According to the Congressional Research Service, sub-Saharan Africa is the largest regional recipient of American foreign assistance. Over the past decade, the aid that the State Department and USAID have administered to Africa has been worth about $8 billion annually. Major recipients have included Nigeria, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. In addition to direct US aid, African nations also receive assistance through other American agencies and Washington's contributions to multilateral organizations. This brings a potential new approach for US support — an approach that supports greater African responsibility and transparency Khaled Abou Zahr About 70 percent of American aid for Africa over the past decade supported health programs, primarily HIV/AIDS, with additional funding for agriculture, economic growth, security, the promotion of democracy and human rights, and education. Key multination initiatives like the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Feed the Future and Power Africa also support the region. Most aid is delivered through contractors, nongovernmental organizations and multilateral bodies, rather than direct government-to-government assistance. And this is probably one of the flaws that made USAID money less efficient. This situation is not specific to USAID; rather, it reflects how most foreign assistance programs and charities operate. It may come as a surprise, but a large portion of the funds cover administrative costs and running the projects, rather than directly supporting the core objectives. When it comes to cross-border programs, this burden is even higher. And so, in the end, positive change becomes less efficient and this was the case with USAID. This is why the US should not abandon Africa and give up on all its support. It should focus on bringing about real and positive changes while reinforcing African leadership. It is, to a certain extent, the same as Europe is going through with its security file. Africa deserves the generosity of the American people. Washington just needs to make sure it is well-allocated and executed. In short, it should be a reset, not a cancellation. This aid should not be motivated by ideological agendas. This is also what made USAID money less efficient. International aid should be aimed at solving real problems and curbing Africa's reliance on pure foreign aid. It is also an opportunity for African leaders to look for an approach that will build up their own economies. There are two main areas that need to be addressed: fighting poverty and empowering local management. Yet the urgency is on healthcare. Africa's predicament is that, despite its wealth in natural resources, which includes some of the world's largest minerals reserves, a variety of energy sources and large areas of arable land, it is still struck with extreme poverty. Competition between external nations in Africa is hence partly, if not mainly, about gaining control of the 30 percent of the planet's mineral reserves it homes. The significant deposits of gold, diamonds, platinum, copper and uranium, for example, have been a source of military confrontations for far too long. Africa deserves the generosity of the American people. Washington just needs to make sure it is well-allocated and executed Khaled Abou Zahr The same goes for its other resources. Indeed, Africa is also a major producer of oil and gas, with countries like Nigeria, Angola and Algeria leading in petroleum reserves, while North Africa, particularly Libya and Egypt, contributes heavily to gas production. Moreover, Africa has huge renewable energy potential and solar power could change the entire dynamic in the Sahara. While poverty and starvation still hit the continent brutally, we quickly forget that 60 percent of the world's uncultivated arable land is in Africa. It is already a leader in commodities like cocoa, coffee, tea and timber. The potential of fisheries makes Africa a resource powerhouse with immense economic potential. Unfortunately, while this all sounds good on paper, the reality is very different. The difference between theory and practice goes a long way. And so, we still need to question how foreign aid and its structure have impacted the continent's development and may have contributed to its ongoing dependence on such support. Moreover, while it has symbolically shifted the moral responsibility of progress from African leaders to Western powers, the reality is it has given the latter carte blanche to get their hands on vast resources in return for building just a few kilometers of road or a few wells. This is why, on a separate note, the Gulf Cooperation Council's approach has always been respected and accepted. This is why the end of USAID should not be synonymous with the end of US support to Africa. But any new program should be directed at helping Africa gain control of its own resources for its own development, not to prevent China or Russia from gaining ground but because it is the true spirit of US generosity and the right thing to do. This is how the US will make a true, long-term ally of Africa.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Food research halted at MSU after Trump's USAID stop work order
This story has been updated with new information. EAST LANSING — The funding freeze for a government agency that administers foreign aid could have critical impacts closer to home. In a 40-year period from 1983 to 2023, Michigan State University received $190 million from USAID for its Food Security Group. The lead project of the program is the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity, and Influence, which aims to transform food policy in countries across Africa, Asia and Central America. Michigan is one of 13 states with universities where research has been halted in the wake of President Donald Trump's decision to freeze funding for USAID. On Jan. 24, a stop-work order was sent to all recipients of USAID grants and contracts, including the two Feed the Future initiatives at MSU. Professor David Tschirley, director of MSU's Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity and Influence, said the lasting impacts of the funding freeze haven't been clearly thought out, and the benefit of the labs to the nation and Michigan should be enough to make the federal government reconsider. "Some of the biggest supporters of many of these labs stateside are commodity groups in the U.S.," Tschirley said. "They see the value of this work ... the people who actually work in the sector understand the value of these labs domestically." USAID delivers billions of dollars in humanitarian aid and foreign assistance to dozens of countries. Some programs it funds have won emergency waivers. Others have launched legal challenges. But the order has caused widespread disruption and sparked concerns about the real-world consequences if USAID is largely defunded or disbanded altogether. Tschirley said those benefits include research on growing disease-resistant crops that Michigan farmers can use. He pointed to the Michigan Bean Commission and the Michigan Soybean Committee, both of which have used some of the research MSU has collected over the years. And the help given to foreign countries eventually comes back to the U.S., in the form of international stability, increased exports to developing countries and general goodwill. "The most recent study on the benefits of all this kind of research for the U.S. is that for every dollar invested in these programs, $30 to $40 comes back to the U.S.," Tschirley said. Joe Cramer, executive director of the Michigan Bean Commission, said there was "no question" that the research projects being done overseas benefited Michigan farmers. And although he was skeptical of the research offshore at first, he said he realized that the research being done in other countries wouldn't have a negative impact on the success of the dry bean industry in the U.S., and that the development of stronger bean genetics that could survive drier climates and were resistant to more disease was a positive for everyone. "It took me a long time to understand that we weren't developing a competitor," he said. The dry bean industry in Michigan is in a great place, Cramer said, and there's less risk involved in farming than there was 25 years ago. He attributes part of the success of the business to the research being done by MSU and other labs across the world. "If we can get our best minds and researchers on this, I don't really care where (the research) is being done," he said. The Feed the Future lab received $5 million from USAID last year, Tschirley said. A little over a dozen other institutions also receive money from USAID for projects under the Feed the Future lab, including Kansas State University and the University of California, Davis. The Feed the Future lab isn't the only research project at the university that receives funding from USAID. MSU's College of Education received $17 million last November to improve STEM education in Malawi, through the USAID Transforming Higher Education Systems project. 'As a leading global public research university, Michigan State is committed to student success and to access and equity in higher education both here on our campus and around the world,' MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz said in a November news release. Tschirley said that although it may seem like the foreign countries are getting all of the benefit, that isn't true. Students who are educated through MSU programs like the one in Malawi may continue their education in the U.S., which is a benefit to the U.S. economy. At MSU alone, international students contribute over $200 million to the local economy, and support over 2,000 jobs in the Lansing area, an MSU report on international students showed. The legality of Trump's orders are working their way through the court system. On Feb. 13, a federal judge extended an order blocking the firing of thousands of workers from USAID who argued the Trump administration is dismantling the foreign aid agency. On Friday, a federal judge cleared the way for the Trump administration to put USAID workers on leave, Reuters reported. On Sunday, the Trump administration said it was placing all personnel, except leaders and critical staff, on paid administrative leave and eliminating 1,600 positions in the United States. "I regret to inform you that you are affected by a Reduction in Force action," said an email sent to one of the workers being fired that was reviewed by Reuters. Those who received the email will be let go from federal service effective April 24, the email said. But despite the legal challenges, Tschirley said researchers have been cut off from funding. When he was notified of the first order on Jan. 20, a pause and 90-day review on all research receiving federal funding, Tschirley said he wasn't too worried. Research activity would have been able to continue, because USAID doesn't give cash up front but instead pays back what MSU spends. However, he said he wasn't prepared for the stop work order on Jan. 24. "Some labs had experiments in the field," he said. "So you're talking about losing millions and millions of dollars already invested in these studies that if stopped in the middle would completely go to waste. And so there was a lot of confusion, trying to get clarity about what we could and could not do." Luckily for the researchers at MSU, Tschirley said, MSU is able to cover the basic expenses, like salaries, with existing contracts and grants. But work might be lost. "If you don't keep watering the plants and weeding the plants, then you're going to lose that trial," he said. "If you miss the window for a survey, if it's sensitive to season, you also lose that work." Tschirley said he's expecting a questionnaire to come from USAID in the next couple months about his work and why it should be funded. But he said he's worried about how long the university will be able to pay the salaries of the researchers. "The uncertainty is very, very difficult," he said. "And the longer it goes on, the more destruction there will be." USA TODAY reporter Kim Hjelmgaard and Reuters contributed to this story. Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@ Follow her on X @sarahmatwood This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Food research halted at MSU after Trump's USAID stop work order
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Shortsighted DOGE USAID cuts hurt Wisconsin farmers, weaken national security
Growing up in rural Western Wisconsin, farms and farmers were central to my community. From afterschool meetings of Future Farmers of America to my best friend's complaints about having to milk cows every Sunday morning before church, agriculture was woven into daily life. After college, I worked for (now retired) Congressman Ron Kind and was honored to do my part supporting his efforts in Washington to protect Wisconsin farmers' livelihoods. I then went on to work in the U.S. intelligence community, where I was exposed to a global understanding of food and farming. I saw firsthand how food insecurity in Africa and the Middle East helped terrorists and extremists recruit hungry young men – and how U.S. food aid, which in large part comes from American farmers, could reverse this trend. It is because of these life experiences that I am so concerned by the Trump Administration's shortsighted effort to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and cut U.S. foreign aid, both of which harm Wisconsin agriculture and food security globally. More: As fights rage over DOGE and USAID, farmers battle decades of government failure | Opinion This action is a reversal of decades of bipartisan support for programs that provide global food aid and prevent starvation, precisely because such programs help American farmers, help those most in need, and prevent conflict and instability that threatens our national security. American farmers, including Wisconsin farmers, have played a critical role in saving lives globally since the Food for Peace program was established by President John F. Kennedy. In 2024, USAID purchased $2 billion in U.S.-grown crops for humanitarian aid, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, vegetable oil and peas. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a key partner for USAID's Feed the Future Innovation Lab, helping train agricultural researchers around the world and research new seeds. In the past decade, Feed the Future has reduced hunger and poverty by 20 to 25 percent in targeted areas, with over 6 million producers newly using better agricultural practices in 2023 alone. Of course, these innovations not only support communities abroad, but can also be put to use right in UW-Madison's backyard to make farmers more resilient to increasing hazards such as heatwaves and extreme precipitation. Right now, however, Feed the Future is suspended. A report from the USAID Inspector General released on Feb. 10 found that $489 million of food assistance at ports, in transit, and in warehouses, including food from Midwestern farmers is at risk of spoiling and diversion before it can be used to help hungry communities. Programs that leverage U.S. agricultural innovation to help small-scale farmers in East Africa and the Sahel have stopped, much to the delight of extremist groups and U.S. adversaries Russia and China. More: I'm relieved our new president will not be responsible for the price of eggs | Letters Should parts of USAID be reformed or revisited? Certainly. But shutting down the entire agency in less than two weeks is not the way to do it. I know Wisconsinites are proud of the role our farm industry plays in supporting food security and preventing starvation worldwide. The Wisconsin Congressional delegation has consistently stood up for Wisconsin farmers, and they must do the same today by opposing this reckless destruction of these life-saving and economically important food aid programs. Erin Sikorsky grew up in Holmen, WI and her family spends summers in Spring Green, WI. She previously worked for Congressman Ron Kind and the US intelligence community for more than a decade, and now directs the Center for Climate and Security in Washington, DC. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cuts to USAID hurt Wisconsin. Congress must support farmers. | Opinion
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansans aim to rescue Food For Peace
Feb. 12—By moving Food for Peace to USDA, the program can continue to equip American producers to serve hungry people while providing more transparency and efficiency as to how taxpayer dollars are stewarded. Rep. Tracey Mann The farming community believes in raising the crop and providing things for the world and for other people to be able to prosper themselves. We've been the breadbasket of the world for years, and that hasn't changed. PCCA CEO Kim Barnes WASHINGTON, D.C — The shuttering and impending dismantlement of the U.S. Agency for International Development is not only causing a stir among the world's recipients of U.S. assistance, but it has also become an issue here at home, in the heart of the nation's breadbasket. Citing fraud and corruption within the agency created by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, President Donald Trump's Jan. 20 executive order shut down USAID, placing an unprecedented 90-day freeze on foreign assistance in his first day of office. The freeze attempted to place some 2,200 USAID employees on administrative leave or evacuating them from their host countries, but that move has been barred by Judge Carl Nichols, appointed by Trump in his first term, by a limited temporary restraining order that is due to expire at midnight on Feb. 14. While USAID has run Food for Peace, USDA has run two other international food assistance programs, including the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program named in part after former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole. Food for Peace uses taxpayer dollars to buy American agricultural surplus to use as foreign food aid. The program is intended to fight world hunger, expand international trade and advance foreign diplomacy. Rescuing Food For Peace On Tuesday, a group of U.S. Representatives led by Kansas First District Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Salina, alongside U.S. Senators Jerry Moran, R-KS and John Hoeven, R-ND, introduced legislation to move the administration of the Food for Peace program, as a part of USAID, from that agency to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The bill does not appear to include Feed the Future, another USAID program that has awarded tens of millions of dollars to Kansas State University for agricultural research. "For 70 years, Kansas and American farmers have played an active role in sending their commodities to feed malnourished and starving populations around the world," Rep. Mann released from his Washington office on Tuesday. "This free gift from the American people is more than food. It's diplomacy and feeds the most vulnerable communities while helping them recognize the freedom, prosperity, and good America can establish across the globe. By moving Food for Peace to USDA, the program can continue to equip American producers to serve hungry people while providing more transparency and efficiency as to how taxpayer dollars are stewarded. I will continue to work with the Trump Administration to uproot wasteful spending while ensuring America can continue to be the beacon of hope and freedom we are to the rest of the world." Co-sponsors of the bill include Reps. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, David Rouzer, R-NC. and House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson, R-PA. "Food for Peace is a critical program for American farmers and has a proven track-record of successfully feeding people all over the world," said Rep. Crawford. "I am encouraged by the Trump Administration taking a fresh look at how we provide foreign assistance, including Food for Peace. I believe a move from USAID to USDA would make program administration more efficient and more in-line with America's priorities. USDA already runs two international food assistance programs that deal with in-kind food donations, Food for Progress and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program. This makes USDA a natural home for Food for Peace." "Kansas has a long history of providing food to the hungry beginning with a Kansas farmer suggesting the U.S. provide surplus grain to countries in need, to President Eisenhower establishing the resulting humanitarian aid program, to Senator Bob Dole's expanding Food for Peace, to the farmers who grow the crops that feed the world," noted Sen. Moran. "As part of an ongoing effort to save money and increase efficiency, Food for Peace should be moved to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. By moving this program closer to the producers who grow these crops, we can help reduce waste and make certain our farmers have access to this valuable market. Food stability is essential to political stability, and our food aid programs help feed the hungry, bolster our national security and provide important markets for our farmers." Rep. Mann said that for the past 70 years, America's farmers, millers, shippers, and dockworkers have served at the helm of combatting international hunger as Food for Peace has fed more than 4 billion people in more than 150 countries, noting more than 50 organizations support his legislation. "Kansas farmers take great pride in Food for Peace and the impact the program and American commodities have had on feeding the world," said Chris Tanner, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers President. "Moving Food for Peace to USDA would continue to provide the needed relief for people in need. Thank you to Senator Moran and Congressman Mann for leading the way on this issue." "Kansas-grown sorghum is a critical crop for food security in America and abroad," said Adam York, CEO of Kansas Sorghum Producers Association. "Throughout changes in administrations, sorghum farmers have worked to have a seat at the table in international food programs housed across many agencies to ensure America's farmers can contribute to our national security. We recommend policy makers continue prioritizing American agriculture as a solution to challenges in domestic and foreign policy." "U.S. soybeans play an important role in addressing global hunger," said Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association and a soybean farmer from Kentucky. "Soybeans are the only plant-based protein that provides all nine amino acids essential for human health, and our farmers have been proud to support international food assistance programs. ASA strongly supports efforts to protect these programs and to ensure U.S. grown commodities continue to feed vulnerable populations around the globe. We thank Representative Mann and Senator Moran for their leadership on this important issue." "National Sorghum Producers supports this legislation that would move U.S. food aid programs under the U.S. Department of Agriculture — a move that makes sense and would ensure the long-term viability and success of these programs by continuing to provide a critical market for American sorghum farmers and the ability to move grain from our fields to the hands of those in need around the world," said Amy France, National Sorghum Producers Chairwoman. "Our nation's millers take great pride in feeding those facing famine emergencies around the world," said Kim Z Cooper, Vice President of Government Affairs for the North American Millers' Association. "Our flagship emergency food aid program Food for Peace not only helps those abroad, but is a critical component of Buy American and America First policies. We applaud Representatives Mann (R-KS), Thompson (R-PA), Crawford (R-AR), Newhouse (R-WA), Rouzer (R-NC), and Senators Moran and Hoeven for introducing legislation that would allow Food for Peace to operate under USDA, and reinstate this critical, life-saving program." Rep Mann has continuously championed Kansas' leadership in the U.S. fight against world hunger. In June 2023, Rep. Mann introduced legislation to reform Food for Peace and ensure that U.S. grown commodities remained the cornerstone of international food aid. Much of that legislation was seen in the House Agriculture Committee's Farm, Food, and National Security Act. In November 2022, Rep. Mann hosted 'Thank the American Farmer' in Salina, Kansas to pay tribute to the rich history of Kansas agriculture's role in feeding the world. Preserving a Kansas legacy Rescuing the Food for Peace program and placing it within USDA's administration is an important step in keeping an export market for grain sorghum. While the U.S. is the world leader at 14% of global sorghum production, Kansas produces 57% of the sorghum grown in this country. Grain sorghum, or milo as it is known by most Kansas producers, is primarily used for livestock feed and ethanol production, but is becoming popular in the consumer food industry and other emerging markets. Overseas, sorghum is well known as an ancient, sustainable, gluten-free grain with a mild, earthy flavor similar to wheat berries. Chefs around the world know it as a flexible ingredient that is used in a variety of preparations. Shutting down Food for Peace would adversely affect Kansas producers, who turn to milo as a common follow planting in their annual crop rotation. Because it requires less water to produce, it has been championed by growers, especially in drought-stricken central and western Kansas. But because Kansans grow it, they are also harvesting and storing it. Kansas currently has more than 150 million bushels of sorghum held at mills, elevators, warehouses, terminals and processors according to USDA grain stock data. The total nationwide, incidentally, is 210 million bushels. Dismantling a potential sorghum market outlet along with USAID would be a bad move, noted Pawnee County Co-op Association CEO Kim Barnes. Barnes, who has spent 51 of his 70 years at PCCA purchasing and selling grain, is continuously on the lookout for grain contracts. Sometimes, that means selling to Food for Peace, when the organization makes the call. Sometimes, they sell to brokers. Other times, directly to an export house, and they then make the contract with the government. From there, the grain is loaded on a ship and sent overseas. Barnes explained that taxpayer dollars pay the American agriculture industry for the food that is used in foreign aid. The way the USAID program has worked in the past, he noted, is the government, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sends out a call for contract. If the government doesn't buy sorghum to use as food aid, grain elevators and others in the industry could find themselves stuck with last year's harvest filling up space — and potentially costing them storage interest — heading into this year's growing season. "I've gotten these contract proposals for many years," Barnes said. "They tell you what they're looking to buy and the destination and how much they're looking to buy." "Right now, there's no other export market for it, and there's no domestic market," Barnes said. "We were hoping there'd be another one with as much milo as we have. "The market is just not there to sell it. We've been buying milo from our producers all along. We have a tremendous company-owned position at this point, just nobody on the other side to sell it to. And it's just not country elevators, it's terminals, it's everybody, because there's just no other market in the world today for milo. "It won't go bad — we know how to maintain grain — but storage space is going to get tight," Barnes said. PCCA's elevator has storage capacity of 6 million bushels, Barnes said. About 2.5 to 3 million of that is currently full, and the majority of that is sorghum. Compared to this time in past years, grain storage is typically around 2 to 2.5 million, with sorghum accounting for a smaller share. "This is just a milo issue," he said. "Because corn, soybeans and wheat are finding homes elsewhere. If we can't get a chance to move this milo, the basis on milo is just going to deteriorate farther as we get into the future months," Barnes said. "Because if there's no place to go with it, we can't buy something that we can't get fair value on the other side." "Putting Food for Peace under the USDA is probably the best place to go for it. That is certainly better than just having it go away," Barnes said. 'The breadbasket of the world' Barnes, from the co-op in Pawnee County, echoed the thoughts shared in Congress. "My concern is these will be potential markets that we'll lose, and people will go hungry," Barnes said. "They'll look for other sources, and will those other sources not be what we need for safety? We also need to take care of those in need." Barnes said that foreign food aid opens the door for long-term benefit in exports. "In other words," he said, "taking that development of that country, getting it on its feet — helping people to be better economists in their countries —carries the idea that 'we help you today, get you back on your fee and you could be a purchaser down the road.' "The farming community," he added, "believes in raising the crop and providing things for the world and for other people to be able to prosper themselves. We've been the breadbasket of the world for years, and that hasn't changed."
