USDA to donate $212 million to Food For Progress

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday it would provide $212 million to buy and donate U.S. commodities to help feed 7.5 million people in 13 countries around the world.

The department said the donation, made under USDA's Food For Progress program, will benefit people in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

USDA said the purchases will be made on the U.S. market in the 2009 fiscal year. The donations include more than 280,000 metric tonnes of U.S. wheat and wheat flour, soybean and vegetable oil, soybean meal and yellow corn.

The Food for Progress program provides U.S. agricultural commodities to developing countries and emerging democracies. The commodities are provided as a donation to foreign governments, private voluntary organizations, nonprofit organizations and other organizations.

(Reporting by Christopher Doering; Editing by Christian Wiessner)