US adds $80 mln in food aid for Africa

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - The United States will spend an additional $80 million in funding for four projects to feed 655,000 children in Africa, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Tuesday.

The funding comes on top of $95.5 million allocated in December and is to be spent this fiscal year, officials said.

"Studies and common sense both tell us that children learn best when they are well nourished and fed," Vilsack said in prepared comments for a speech to the International Food Aid Conference being held in Kansas City.

The food assistance includes 51,700 tonnes of agricultural commodities for women and children in Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Niger and Uganda.

The funding is part of the McGovern-Dole school feeding program, which has fed about 6 million people during the past two years, USDA said.

The announcement of the additional funding follows news in late March that 500,000 lbs. of government-owned nonfat dry milk would be provided to the McGovern-Dole program.

In all, the programs are expected to feed 4.2 million children in 19 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.