U.S. SENATE PANEL COULD CONSIDER TRADE MEASURE

  The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee
  may take up a bill tomorrow that would strengthen the
  activities of U.S. agricultural trade teams in selected
  developing countries, committee staff said.
      The measure, sponsored by committee Chairman Patrick Leahy
  (D-Vt.) and Sen. John Melcher (D-Mont.), would establish trade
  teams of between six and nine persons drawn from federal
  agencies and private voluntary organizations, staff said.
      The trade missions would seek to generate interest in the
  U.S. government's food donation and commercial programs --
  PL480, Section 416, export credit and export enhancement -- and
  upon return be required to advocate extension of concessional
  or commercial benefits to interested countries.
      The trade teams would be made up of representatives of the
  U.S. Agriculture Department, State Department, the Agency for
  International Development and private voluntary organizations
  such as U.S. Wheat Associates.
      The bill would require teams within six months to visit
  seven countries: Mexico, Philippines, Indonesia, India,
  Bangladesh, Senegal and Nigeria.
      Within one year after passage of the measure, another eight
  countries would have to be visited: Peru, Kenya, the Dominican
  Republic, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Venezuela, Tunisia and Morocco.
  Other countries could be added to the list.
      Senate staff members said the bill, still in the drafting
  stages, had broad support and was expected to be approved by
  the committee tomorrow.
  

