Statement by the President Announcing Extension of the Food Stamp Program.

WHEN these new programs are in operation, low-income families in 206 areas in 39 States and the District of Columbia will be able to use food coupons to buy more and better food.

Our goal is to extend the benefits of this important food program to a million people by June 30, 1966.

When I signed the Food Stamp Act of 1964 about a year ago, I directed Secretary of Agriculture Orville L. Freeman to extend this program as quickly as possible to as many areas requesting it as the budget would permit. Since then, Secretary Freeman reports the Department of Agriculture has increased the number of food stamp areas by more than 2 1/2 times--from the 43 pilot operations of last August to 116 counties and cities in 30 States and the District of Columbia currently.

Another 16 areas approved to enter the food stamp program earlier will begin operation in the coming months. Two counties in Mississippi will start this week. Latest reports show that in July nearly 640,000 people were taking part in the program, gaining an average of $6.30 a month per person in more food buying power. For many of these people it is the first time they have ever been able to go into a store and buy the food their families need.

This kind of progress all over the country makes the food stamp program a vital part of our work to break the cycle of poverty among our less fortunate citizens. They have a chance to help themselves by investing their own money in food coupons worth more than they paid. The coupons are spent like cash at authorized local food stores. Experience and research show that farmers sell more food, grocers get more business, and the entire economy of the area gets a boost from the added food buying power of food stamp customers.

We designed the food stamp program to expand or contract as economic and employment conditions warrant. A steady increase in available jobs during the past year has enabled many families to find work and move off the program.

Thus, we have been able to plan an expansion of the program into several more areas, largely less populous rural areas which have not felt the impact of the continuing improvement in the national employment picture.

The Department of Agriculture has more requests for the food stamp program than can be honored right now. During the year we will carefully evaluate all progress reports and move quickly to extend the program where possible within available funds. Over the next few years we expect to bring the food stamp program to all parts of the country that request it.