"National security issues today also include such things as our growing dependence on food imports," he told reporters.

He figures this would save $5 billion to $6 billion a year in food imports.

Last year, the Soviet Union's total food imports were $9.8 billion.

Agricultural exports provide enough income to pay for any necessary food imports.

One result was African countries becoming increasingly dependent upon foreign food imports.

Together, these countries account for three-quarters of Iraqi food imports.

Well, that's eight weeks without food imports, and nobody has died here yet.

As a result, grain, meat and milk production was up 10 percent or more, he said, while food imports have been cut in half.

We must also look at food imports from outside the European Union.

It has to compete with food imports from third countries produced under very different conditions.