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Demonstration and Training Projects : As an important part 

 of this technical assistance effort, the United States supports 

 several demonstration and training projects, including a 

 wholesale market development program in Moscow, which we expect 

 to expand to Kazakhstan and Ukraine this year; a model farm 

 project outside St. Petersburg; an agribusiness training center 

 for private farmers and entrepreneurs established by Land O' 

 Lakes and AKKOR, the private farmers association in Russia; and 

 a low-cost storage program in Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan 

 to reduce post-harvest losses in grain and potatoes. We are 

 also providing $6.5 million for a three-year Joint U.S. -Israeli 

 Agricultural Program for Central Asia and Georgia which, in 

 addition to joint research and exchange programs, is also 

 establishing model farms to share expertise on semi-arid 

 agricultural production and practices. 



Many of our technical assistance projects are just now 

 beginning to be implemented. We look forward to tracking the 

 progress of these programs and to assessing their impact on the 

 development of private agriculture in the NIS. However, we 

 already know that our agricultural policy advisers, one of whom 

 will be here tomorrow to testify before this Subcommitte, have 



