	u s cargo preference squabble continues the u s agriculture department said it will begin charging interest tomorrow on the over mln dlrs the department of transportation dot owes usda to pay for its share of the cost of ping food aid on u s vessels usda general sales manager melvin sims told the senate appropriations agriculture subcommittee his department had billed dot mln dlrs and that interest on that amount and an additional charge would begin accruing april usda s foreign agricultural service administrator thomas kay told reuters dot could owe usda as much as mln dlrs the two departments are trying to hammer out an accord on how to fund the increasing share of food aid required to be ped on u s flag vessels under a farm bill provision on cargo preference sims said the agencies were near to reaching a memorandum of understanding governing how dot would pay for its share of the cargo preference costs under the bill the percentage of food aid ments carried on u s vessels was to increase gradually over three years to pct in from pct although the increased cost was to be funded by dot sims said that department to date has contributed no money reuter 
