DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department hopes to secure 10 percent of the funding for the new U.S. global hunger and food security initiative for agricultural research, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Thursday.

Congress has not yet finalized appropriations for the plan for fiscal 2010, but is discussing a range of $1 billion to $1.2 billion to be spent on agricultural development, Vilsack said in an interview.

"Our view is initially 10 percent of that ought to be considered for research," Vilsack told Reuters, noting the U.S. government continues to discuss how to implement the plan.

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