1.   Under the old farming programme, Washington used to actually take ownership of the wheat and sell the grain from Government stocks.

2.   Also, many farmers have been reluctant to sell new grain, choosing to market it later in hopes that prices will be higher, analysts said.

3.   But other nations broke ranks and sold grain to the Soviets, and the Afghan war continued.

4.   Continental Grain has been left as a middleman, buying, storing and selling grain on increasingly narrow spreads.

5.   Elsewhere, wheat slid as Australia sold grain to Pakistan.

6.   Exporters like Cargill Inc. will be able to sell grain overseas at more competitive prices.

7.   Farmers have argued in recent years they would see bigger profits if allowed to sell their grain on the open market, saying the board system is outdated.

8.   Farmers, who are required to sell their grain through the board, say it outlived its usefulness.

9.   He says his officials were told by the International Monetary Fund to sell the grain to repay debt, a charge that fund officials deny.

10.   In exchange, South Korea would resume cooperation with the North on nuclear power issues and Washington would permit a private company to sell grain to Pyongyang.