Rep. Victor L. Anfuso, Democrat of New York, today urged Congress to extend Public Law 480 for another year and cited Israel as a specific example of how this law benefits the United States as well as the purchasing country. The extension of this law, already approved by the Senate, seeks to increase distribution of United States agricultural surplus commodities abroad through purchase or donation.
Rep. Anfuso said, on the House floor, that in a period of two years Israel purchased $51,000,000 worth of United States surplus food commodities, most of it being in wheat and food grains. For the coming fiscal year, Israel has submitted a program in the neighborhood of some $50,000,000 worth of surplus agricultural commodities, which it desires to purchase from the United States. The agricultural commodities Israel purchased proved to be of great importance for two reasons, the New York Congressman pointed out. It established minimum stocks of basic foods needed because of large-scale immigration, and it raised the level of food consumption and improved the diet of the population.
Rep. Anfuso said: “Because of Public Law 480, certain of our agricultural commodities have been introduced to the Israeli market, while the consumption of other U.S. commodities was substantially increased. This will undoubtedly have a long-range effect in developing a market in Israel for American agricultural products.”
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