Itinga (Minas Gerais), 1/13/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The secretary for Food Security and Hunger Combat, José Graziano, reports that funding for first semester of the Zero Hunger Program has already been ensured. He explained that R$1.8 billion from the budget and additional money from the Poverty Combat Fund would be available. Graziano also said there were expectations that donations from domestic and international organizations would occur making it possible to keep the program operating in the future.

Graziano reaffirmed the importance of the program, pointing out that both president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and minister of Finance, Antônio Palocci, had promised that it would not have problems due to a lack of funding. (AB)