AGRICULTURAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES AND EMERGING DEMOCRACIES.

SEC. 1543. AGRICULTURAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES AND EMERGING DEMOCRACIES. (a) Establishment.— The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a fellowship program for middle income countries and emerging democracies, to be known as the “Cochran Fellowship Program”, to provide fellowships to individuals from eligible countries who specialize in agriculture for study in the United States. (b) Eligible Countries.— Countries that meet the following requirements shall be eligible to participate in the program established under this section: (1) Middle-income country.— A country that has developed economically to the point where it no longer qualifies for bilateral foreign aid assistance from the United States because its per capita income level exceeds the eligibility requirements of such assistance programs (hereafter referred to in this section as a “middle-income” country). (2) Ongoing relationship.— A middle-income country that has never qualified for bilateral foreign aid assistance from the United States, but with respect to which an ongoing relationship with the United States, including technical assistance and training, would provide mutual benefits to such country and the United States. (3) Type of government.— A country that has recently begun the transformation of its system of government from a non-representative type of government to a representative democracy and that is encouraging democratic institution building, and the cultural values, institutions, and organizations of democratic pluralism. (c) Purpose of the Fellowships.— Fellowships under this section shall be provided to permit the recipients to gain knowledge and skills that will— (1) assist eligible countries to develop agricultural systems necessary to meet the food needs of their domestic populations; and (2) strengthen and enhance trade linkages between eligible countries and agricultural interests in the United States. (d) Individuals Who May Receive Fellowships.— The Secretary shall utilize the expertise of United States agricultural counselors, trade officers, and commodity trade promotion groups working in participating countries to help identify program candidates for fellowships under this section from both the public and private sectors of those countries. (e) Program Implementation.— The Secretary shall consult with other United States Government agencies, United States universities, and the private agribusiness sector, as appropriate, to design and administer training programs to accomplish the objectives of the Program established under this section. (f) Authorization of Appropriations.— There are authorized to be appropriated without fiscal year limitation such sums as may be necessary to carry out the program established under this section,104 STAT. 3695 except that the amount of such funds in any fiscal year shall not exceed— (1) for eligible countries that meet the requirements of subsection (b)(1), $3,000,000; (2) for eligible countries that meet the requirements of subsection (b)(2), $2,000,000; and (3) for eligible countries that meet the requirements of subsection (b)(3), $5,000,000. (g) Complementary Funds.— If the Secretary of Agriculture determines that it is advisable in furtherance of the purposes of the program established under this section, the Secretary may accept money, funds, property, and services of every kind by gift, devise, bequest, grant, or otherwise, and may, in any manner, dispose of all such holdings and use the receipts generated from such disposition as general program funds under this section. All funds so designated for the program established under this section shall remain available until expended.