CHICAGO (April 17 2003) : The US Commerce Department has revised upwardits US 2002 and January 2003 soyabean export estimates to China by a totalof about 27.4 million bushels to reflect stronger sales than previouslyreported, a department aide said on Tuesday.

"The overall revision for the year 2002 was revised upward by 497,010metric tons and for January the revision was upward by 247,500 metrictons." The Commerce revisions for 2002 were for October, November andDecember.

Orsini said the revised total of US soyabean exports to China in calendar2002 is 205.6 million tonnes.

Exports of soyabeans for January 2003 were also revised upward to a newtotal of 1.6 million tonnes.

The UN World Food Programme has bought 220,000 tonnes of wheat flour and84,000 tonnes of rice for food aid for Iraq so far, as well as 28,000tonnes of vegetable oil and 3,000 tonnes of sugar, a WFP official said onTuesday.

The official said Rome-based WFP, the world's largest food aid agency, hadalso purchased 35,000 tonnes of pulses, 12,000 tonnes of high-energybiscuits, almost 2,000 tonnes of milk powder and 1,250 tonnes of cheese.

WFP procured the food commodities in Europe, the Middle East and Asia viatenders, the official said.

Congress has given the US Department of Agriculture $69 million to helpreplenish a government-owned grain reserve running low following fooddonations to Iraq and African countries.

Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said an initial review of thelegislation suggested the money could be used to buy "other commodities"than the wheat now stockpiled.

The $69 million was included in a $79 billion emergency spending measureto pay for Iraq war expenses and domestic anti-terrorism efforts thatCongress approved the legislation Saturday.

The measure included another $300 million to help pay for US fooddonations abroad.

Also, $300 million for Egypt and $700 million for Jordan in additionaleconomic aid conceivably could be used in part to help those Middle Eastcountries buy US commodities.

"It's my understanding the $69 million will give us the flexibility to buythe other commodities," Veneman told reporters.

But she cautioned, "We're still trying to sort out what the anguage reallyis."

Cargill Inc on Monday opened an 800,000 tonnes a year river soya exportterminal at Santarem in northern Brazil.

The $20 million terminal in Para state can store up to 60,000 tonnes ofsoyabeans and provides an alternative export route to Europe and Asia fromcongested southern ports, which are very far from centre-west soya growingareas.

"Due to the increase in Brazilian soyabean production, it's essential toimprove port infrastructure and logistics in order to avoid transportbottlenecks," Jose Luiz Glaser, director of Cargill's Brazilian soyadivision said in a statement.

Most of the soya exported through Santarem should come from Mato Grossoand transported along highway BR-163.

-Reuters