U.S. Department of Agriculture: Improvements Needed in Foreign
Agricultural Service Management (Testimony, 11/10/93, GAO/T-GGD-94-56).

The Agriculture Department's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) manages
about $10 billion a year in agricultural export programs, which seek to
boost U.S. agricultural exports by developing markets abroad for these
products.  The programs include the Export Credit Guarantee programs,
the Market Promotion and Foreign Market Development programs, the Export
Enhancement Program, and title I of Public Law 480.  This testimony
examines FAS' management of export promotion and assistance programs,
its use of resources in reporting on agricultural developments overseas,
and its strategic planning.  Tight budgets and the large sums spent on
agricultural export programs make sound management imperative.
Improvements have been made, but GAO continues to be concerned about
management weaknesses that undercut the efficiency and effectiveness of
FAS programs.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-GGD-94-56
     TITLE:  U.S. Department of Agriculture: Improvements Needed in 
             Foreign Agricultural Service Management
      DATE:  11/10/93
   SUBJECT:  Foreign trade policies
             International economic relations
             Foreign sales
             Agricultural policies
             Agricultural programs
             Program management
             Exporting
             Agricultural products
             Commodity marketing
IDENTIFIER:  USDA Market Promotion Program
             CCC Export Credit Guarantee Program
             USDA Foreign Market Development Program
             USDA Export Enhancement Program
             USDA GSM-102 Program
             USDA GSM-103 Program
             USDA Long-Term Agricultural Trade Strategy
             
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