[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3677-3678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1504]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


The Emergency Food Assistance Program; Availability of 
Commodities for Fiscal Year 1999

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the surplus and purchased commodities 
that the Department expects to make available for donation to States 
for use in providing food assistance to the needy under the Emergency 
Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in Fiscal Year (FY) 1999. The 
commodities made available under this notice shall, at the discretion 
of the State, be distributed to organizations for use in preparing 
meals, and/or for distribution to households for home consumption.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lillie Ragan, Assistant Branch Chief, 
Program Administration Branch, Food Distribution Division, Food and 
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302-1594 or telephone (703) 305-2662.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Need for Action

Surplus Commodities

    Surplus commodities donated for distribution under TEFAP are 
Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) commodities determined to be 
available for donation by the Secretary of Agriculture under the 
authority of section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949, 7 U.S.C. 1431 
(hereinafter referred to as section 416) and commodities purchased 
under the surplus removal authority of section 32 of the Act of August 
24, 1935, 7 U.S.C. 612c (hereinafter referred to as section 32). The 
types of commodities typically made available under section 416 include 
dairy, grains, oils, and peanut products. The types of commodities 
purchased under section 32 include meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, dry 
beans, juices and fruits. Donations of surplus commodities were 
initiated in 1981 as part of the Department's efforts to reduce 
stockpiles of government-owned commodities, such as cheese, flour, 
butter, and cornmeal, which had been acquired under section 416. These 
donations responded to concern over the costs to taxpayers of storing 
large quantities of foods, while at the same time there were persons in 
need of food assistance. The authority to donate surplus commodities 
for distribution through TEFAP is currently codified in Section 202 of 
the Emergency Food Assistance Act (EFAA) of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7502).
    The supply of surplus commodities has been drastically reduced from 
the levels available in the early 1980s. These reductions are the 
result of changes in the agricultural price-support programs which have 
brought supply and demand into better balance, and accelerated 
donations and sales. However, this trend reversed itself beginning in 
FY 1997. In FY 1998, the Department purchased $108 million worth of 
surplus commodities. The large surpluses were the result of the 
reduction in foreign sales due primarily to the Asian economic 
downturn. The following surplus commodities were purchased for donation 
in FY 1998 but will be delivered in the first quarter of FY 1999, 
because they did not become available for purchase until late in the 
year: frozen beef roasts, canned salmon, canned applesauce, canned 
apple slices, canned cherries, frozen apricots, grapefruit juice, apple 
juice, dried figs, prune puree, dried prunes, raisins, walnut pieces, 
and instant nonfat dried milk. In addition to delivering these products 
for distribution in FY 1999, the Department anticipates that there will 
be sufficient quantities of nonfat dry milk available for donation 
under section 416, and salmon, pork, fresh apples and fresh grapefruit 
purchased under section 32, to support the donation of these 
commodities for distribution through TEFAP in FY 1999. While sufficient 
quantities of these commodities are anticipated to again be available 
in FY 1999 to support such donations, the Department would like to 
point out that commodity acquisitions are based on changing 
agricultural market conditions; therefore, the above commodities may 
not be available for donation in FY 1999, and additional types of 
surplus commodities may become available.

Purchased Commodities

    Congress responded to the reduced availability of surplus 
commodities with section 104 of the Hunger Prevention Act of 1988, Pub. 
L. 100-435, which added sections 213 and 214 to the EFAA. Those 
sections require the Secretary to purchase commodities for distribution 
to States in addition to those surplus commodities which otherwise 
might be provided to States for distribution under TEFAP. Pursuant to 
section 871(d) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-193, Congress repealed the 
authorization of funds for food purchases under section 214. In 
addition, section 871(g) added a new section 27 to the Food Stamp Act 
of 1977 under which the Secretary is required to use $100 million from 
the funds made available to carry out the Food Stamp Act for each of 
FYs 1997 through 2002 to purchase a variety of nutritious and useful 
commodities and distribute the commodities to States for distribution 
through TEFAP. However, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, Pub. L. 105-277, has limited to 
$90 million the amount of Food Stamp Program appropriations available 
in FY 1999 for the purchase of TEFAP commodities, although the $45 
million administrative funding appropriation, as divided among the 
States, may be used, in whole or in part, at the discretion of each 
State, by USDA for the purchase of additional commodities for TEFAP.
    For FY 1999, the Department anticipates purchasing the following 
commodities for distribution through TEFAP: peanut butter, roasted 
peanuts, rice, macaroni, spaghetti, grits, fortified cereal, bakery 
mix, egg mix, dehydrated

[[Page 3678]]

potatoes, corn syrup, vegetable oil, dry bagged beans, raisins, the 
following canned foods: apple juice, applesauce, peaches, pears, 
vegetarian beans, refried beans, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, 
spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, corn, orange juice, grapefruit juice, 
pineapple juice, pork, tuna, beef, and chicken, as well as the 
following frozen foods: ground beef, ground turkey, and turkey roasts. 
The amounts of each item purchased will depend on the prices USDA must 
pay, as well as the quantity of each item requested by the States. 
Changes in agricultural market conditions may result in the 
availability of additional types of commodities or the non-availability 
of one or more types listed above. State officials will be responsible 
for determining how to allocate the commodities each State receives 
among eligible organizations. States have full discretion in 
determining the amount of commodities that will be made available to 
organizations for distribution to needy households for use in home-
prepared meals or for providing prepared meals to the needy at 
congregate feeding sites.

    Dated: January 12, 1999.
Samuel Chambers, Jr.,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-1504 Filed 1-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-U