September 9, 2010

USDA to buy US$30-million poultry products

US Senator Blanche Lincoln announced today, September 9, that USDA has agreed to buy up to US$30 million worth of poultry products for federal food programmes.

Last week, Lincoln had sent a letter to Vilsack urging USDA to make a large poultry purchase.

The purchase "will provide a much-needed boost to Arkansas' poultry industry," Lincoln said. The poultry industry represents one out of every six jobs in Arkansas.

The poultry will go to programmes such as child nutrition programmes and programmes that feed victims of natural disasters. The release did not say how much of the poultry was expected to come from Arkansas.