ORGANIZATION

ORGANIZATION

A. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) benefits all Americans daily. It helps to alleviate poverty, hunger, and malnutrition throughout the nation and around the world. It works to improve and maintain farm income and to develop and expand markets domestically and abroad for agricultural products.

B. COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), is a wholly owned Government corporation within USDA created to stabilize, support, and protect farm income and prices. CCC provides the funding for farm programs and for the purchase, storage, and disposal of agricultural commodities. CCC has no employees of its own. Its price support storage and its domestic acquisition and disposal activities for price supported commodities are carried out primarily by the personnel of the Farm Service Agency. U.S. agricultural commodities, purchased through CCC, have contributed to the battle against world hunger as an important nutritional resource in food programs for the school children and needy in our own nation.

C. FARM SERVICE AGENCY

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) was established on November 8, 1995, by the Secretary of Agriculture. FSA is the agency of the Department of Agriculture that is responsible for carrying out and administering CCC programs. FSA administers agricultural price and income support programs, production adjustment programs, and conservation reserve and agricultural conservation programs, which were formerly administered by the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. In addition, FSA supervises the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and administers farm-related agricultural credit programs formerly administered by the Farmers Home Administration.

D. KANSAS CITY COMMODITY OFFICE

The FSA Kansas City Commodity Office (KCCO) acquires commodities through:

Purchases from vendors or producers in connection with price support programs.
Purchases from commercial stocks to fill the commitments of CCC
Contracts with processors for the processing and/or repackaging of commodities.

KCCO also has specific responsibilities for the acquisition, handling, storage, and disposal of commodities and products held by CCC and for the administration of contracts awarded by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) for shipments of meats, poultry, fruits, and vegetables under domestic food distribution programs. KCCO works closely with the vendors and the States concerning the storage and shipment of donated foods.

The FSA Kansas City Management Office makes payment to producers, vendors and processors for the satisfactory delivery of commodities.