U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns on Oct. 21 announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will donate an additional 25 million pounds of nonfat dry milk (NDM) to help care for the needy throughout the U.S., including those affected by the 2005 hurricanes.

"This initiative builds on the president's Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and promotes USDA's efforts to meet nutritional requirements of individuals in need," said Johanns. "Distribution of nonfat dry milk and its products to faith-based and community organizations is just one of many avenues through which USDA supports those in need."

Nonfat dry milk can be used in manufacturing dairy products such as ready-to-eat pudding, ready-to-eat milk-based soups, nutritional bars and ultra-high temperature shelf-stable milk. The faith-based and community organizations exchange USDA's nonfat dry milk for such manufactured products for distribution within the 48 contiguous states.

Johanns made the donation possible by extending the current deadlines under the National Nonprofit Humanitarian Initiative (NNHI) through Dec. 31, 2005.

USDA has a long history of establishing partnerships with faith-based and community organizations to deliver assistance through domestic and international feeding programs. USDA also administers 15 domestic nutrition programs that touch the lives of one in every five people in America each day. Those programs include the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Food Stamp Program, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.

While NNHI helps meet nutritional needs of the disadvantaged, the initiative also reduces surplus government stocks of NDM. Since the initiative started in September 2003, USDA has distributed more than 160 million pounds of nonfat dry milk.

Nonprofit organizations currently participating in distribution of NDM products will not be required to sign up again under this extension. They need only submit orders requesting the quantity of products desired in their area. Faith-based and community organizations that had not participated in previous NDM distributions will be able to sign up for this distribution. The sign-up period, agreement applications, order forms and other up to date information can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov/daco/NNHIFY06.htm, or by contacting Clyde King at 816-926-2610; e-mail: Clyde.King@kcc.usda.gov or Lance Simson at 816-823-3202; e-mail: Lance.Simson@kcc.usda.gov

Packages for products exchanged for the NDM will be marked with a statement, "Not for Sale, Exchange or Export." USDA will control the amount of NDM exchanged to minimize any potential displacement of nonfat dry milk in the commercial marketplace. There will be no cash involved in these transactions.