2011-33673. Emergency Food Assistance Program; Availability of Foods for Fiscal Year 2012

AGENCY:

Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces the surplus and purchased foods that the Department expects to make available for donation to States for use in providing nutrition assistance to the needy under The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012. The foods made available under this notice must, at the discretion of the State, be distributed to eligible recipient agencies for use in preparing meals and/or for distribution to households for home consumption.

DATES:

Effective Date: October 1, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ashley Bress, Policy Branch, Food Distribution Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive Alexandria, Virginia 22302-1594 or telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with the provisions set forth in the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (EFAA), 7 U.S.C. 7501, et seq., and the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, 7 U.S.C. 2036, the Department makes foods available to States for use in providing nutrition assistance to those in need through TEFAP. In accordance with section 214 of the EFAA, 7 U.S.C. 7515, 60 percent of each State's share of TEFAP foods is based on the number of people with incomes below the poverty level within the State and 40 percent on the number of unemployed persons within the State. State officials are responsible for establishing the network through which the foods will be used by eligible recipient agencies (ERA) in providing nutrition assistance to those in need, and for allocating foods among those ERAs. States have full discretion in determining the amount of foods that will be made available to ERAs for use in preparing meals and/or for distribution to households for home consumption.

The types of foods the Department expects to make available to States for distribution through TEFAP in FY 2012 are described below.

Surplus Foods

Surplus foods donated for distribution under TEFAP are Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) foods purchased under the authority of section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949, 7 U.S.C. 1431 (section 416) and foods purchased under the surplus removal authority of section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935, 7 U.S.C. 612c (section 32). The types of foods typically purchased under section 416 include dairy, grains, oils, and peanut products. The types of foods purchased under section 32 include meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, dry beans, juices, and fruits.

Approximately $37.5 million in surplus foods acquired in FY 2011 are being delivered to States in FY 2012. These foods include carrots, chicken (leg quarters, thighs/drumsticks), corn, fig pieces, oranges, peaches, pears, pistachios, dried plums, potatoes, and tomato sauce. Other surplus foods may be made available to TEFAP throughout the year. The Department would like to point out that food acquisitions are based on changing agricultural market conditions; therefore, the availability of foods is subject to change.

Purchased Foods

In accordance with section 27 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, 7 U.S.C. 2036, the Secretary is directed to purchase about $260.25 million worth of foods in FY 2012 for distribution through TEFAP. These foods are made available to States in addition to those surplus foods which otherwise might be provided to States for distribution under TEFAP.

For FY 2012, the Department anticipates purchasing the following foods for distribution through TEFAP: Dehydrated potatoes, dried plums, raisins, frozen ground beef, frozen whole chicken, frozen ham, frozen turkey roast, blackeye beans, garbanzo beans, great northern beans, light red kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, pinto beans, egg mix, shell eggs, lowfat bakery mix, egg noodles, white and yellow corn grits, spaghetti, macaroni, oats, peanut butter, roasted peanuts, rice, whole grain rotini, vegetable oil, ultra high temperature fluid 1 percent milk, bran flakes, corn flakes, oat cereal, rice cereal, corn cereal, and corn and rice cereal; the following canned items: Green beans, blackeye beans, kidney beans, refried beans, vegetarian beans, carrots, cream corn, whole kernel corn, peas, sliced potatoes, pumpkin, spaghetti sauce, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, mixed vegetables, tomato soup, vegetable soup, apricots, applesauce, mixed fruit, peaches, pears, beef, beef stew, chicken, pork, and salmon; and the following bottled juices: Apple, cherry apple, cran-apple, grape, grapefruit, orange, and tomato. The amounts of each item purchased will depend on the prices the Department must pay, as well as the quantity of each item requested by the States. Changes in agricultural market conditions may result in the availability of additional types of foods or the non-availability of one or more types listed above.

Dated: December 27, 2011.

Audrey Rowe,

Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.