Nature of Change. (a) A decrease of $19,754,000 in commodity costs ($439,754,000 available in 19S4). Changes in major shipments and" commodity""costs are as follows: Change in Change in Estimated Cost of Shipments Shipnents (In thousands) Increases: Milled rice (cwt) +235 +$5,904 Blended food products (lb) +94,575 +13,249* Lentils (lb) +10,853 +2,340 Total increases xxx +21,493 Oecreases: Feed grains and products (met. tons) -24 -S7.732* Uheat and products (bu equiv.) 2,721 -13,604 Soybem products (lb) -2,600 -546* Ory edible peas (lb) 7,263 -1,069 Vegetable oil products (lb) -23,296 -17,593* Milk, nonfat dry (lb) -12,064 -603 Total decreases xxx -41,247 Net decreases xxx -19,754 * Also reflects lower commodity unit prices. Other commodities reflect (h) An increase of $19,754,000 in ocean transportation ($210,246,000 available inTqM). TFTis is primarily due to a higher rate per ton, partially offset by~a" decrease of about 45 thousand metric tons in estimated shipnents. An estimated $24 million is to be financed in fiscal year 1984 by the World Food Program. Costs financed include payment to the Corporation for its investment in commodities made available, including acquisition costs, storage, processing and packaging, inland transportation, and handling charges. Commodities supplied from the Corporation's inventory, if acquired under a price support program, are valued at a price not greater than the export market price at the time of delivery. Costs of ocean transportation am paid from U.S. ports to designated ports of entry abroad, or designated points of entry in landlocked countries, as well as any foreign currencies purchased for use in self-help activities. The following table shows estimated expenses of shipments by commodity for fiscal years 1983, 1984, and 1985: Dublic Law 431, Title II, Expenses of shipments, 1983-1985: Unit om 1983 Actualpa 1984 Estimate copac 1985 Estimate- Measure Quantity ValueTQuantity ValueTQuantity T Value bushel i 3,233,0681 $11,545,1911 4,579,357 $19,131,0001 3,444,714 $11,883,000 pound 179,319,501 15,949,021 199,766,000 25,570,0001225,668,000 26,042,000 Grain sorghum...... bushel 1,599,0371 5,474,572 2,467,3571 9,533,000/ 2,271,1961 8,916,000 Sorghum products... pound | 33,685,798) 3,046,283 59,520,0001 6,916,0001 54,886,0001 6,477,000 Barley....... bushel -9,644 Dat products........ pound 20,862,550 3,420,449 1,508,000 203,000 303,000 Total feed grains......... sh.ton T 39,425,8721 XX 53,621,000 bushel 31,191,508 122,838,386 16,706,767 71,873,0001 17,985,417 80,070,000 pound 359,841,9281 39,234,565248,971,000 29,544,0001213,142,0001 25,686,000 pound 498,484,8471 48,117,878 689,672,000 73,519,000 515,306,000 55,576,000 pound 1,297,9501 339,803 cwt 588,164 7,472,727 1,365,540 21,585,000 1,600,340 27,589,000 Rice products...... pound -1,3101 Blended food products.... pound | 305,697,093 40,478,021/229,026,0001 38,032,000/323,601,0000 51,281,000 Soybean products.... pound 160,000 31,582 2,776,000 680,0001 176,000 34,000 pound 5,818,5001 900,905 10,027, 6001 1,477,000 2,764,000 408,000 10,858,000 2,340,000 Butter...... pound | 29,965,5931 1,499,982 Cheese........ pound | 19,673,8731 986,1331 Milk, nonfat dry....... pound 314,051,0681 15,535,379283,084,000 14,154,000 271,020,0001 13,551,000 Total dairy products, pound 1363,691,5341 18,021,494 283,084,000 14,154,000 271,020,000 13,551,000 Peanut oil, refined.. pound -8,687 390,564,1601 420,000,000 166,327, 869 1,602,087 210,246,000 1,556,757 230,000,000 equivalent of grain. Evaluation of the United States Agricultural Trade Offices in Bahrain, Singapore and Seoul As Established Under the Authority of Public Law 95-501, the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 As Signed into Law on October 21, 1978 This Report Was Prepared By Leo V. Mayer Associate Administrator Foreign Agricultural Service Carmen Nohre International Economics Division Economic Research Service U.S. Department of Agriculture William Kerkvliet Land 0'Lakes Minneapolis, Minnesota and Terry Vorachek October 1981 FOREWORD This report was prepared as part of an evaluation process of the 11 Agricultural Trade Offices that h=v. been established since the Agricultural Trade Act was passed in 1978. It is the outgrowth of a decision made within the Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, to conduct an objective evaluation of these offices by sending three-man teams to the trade offices for onsite inspection during August and September 1978,' The teams sent consisted of one individual from the Foreign Agricultural Service, one individual from private industry and one individual from the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture. The objective was to provide a balanced government/industry viewpoint of the effectiveness and value of the Agricultural Trade Offices. The Government representatives were chosen by the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service and the Administrator of the Economic Research Service, while the industry representatives were chosen by cooperators through their council. The specific instructions given the team were to conduct an overall evaluation of the ATO's and determine whether or not the offices are carrying out the functions mandated by the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978. A list of 10 specific functions designed to expand the market for U.S. agricultural products was considered in the process of this evaluation. These 10 functions' are given in the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978. |