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Agricultural Exchanges : We currently have three 

 agricultural exchange programs. Under AID'S $30 million 

 Farmer-to-Farmer Progragi, we will send about 1,700 volunteers 

 to the NIS over a three-year period; we have already placed 

 over 130 volunteers with counterpart organizations in the NIS 

 to share their expertise in agricultural policy, processing, 

 marketing, credit, distribution, and cooperative organization. 

 USDA's Cochran Fellowship Program has so far placed 87 NIS 

 participants in U.S. agribusinesses for short-term training. 

 Three American agribusiness executives have been placed with 

 newly privatized food industries in Russia and Kazakhstan under 

 USDA's Loaned Executive Program. 



Agribusiness Development : We are also providing incentives 

 for trade and investment by U.S. agribusinesses in the NIS. 

 Under a $60 million agribusiness development project, AID 

 recently awarded grants to two agribusiness trade associations 

 to promote trade and investment activities that will increase 

 the efficiency of the NIS food system. These associations will 

 be providing funding to their member companies, and possibly 

 others, to encourage private U.S. investment in agricultural 

 processing, marketing, and distribution in the NIS. 



