Ag Trade Opportunities Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. The 100th anniversary of USDA's Agricultural Outlook Forum this past month put farm trade at the top of mind.
And agricultural exports have expanded a lot in that time …
TAYLOR … “What we have really seen over the past 100 years, is rapid and really expansive agriculture export growth, we've seen this because we've seen productivity gains in the United States, technological advancements, and market liberalization."
USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Ag Affairs Alexis Taylor says while there has been a downturn in U.S. ag exports over the past couple years, they’re still very strong, even if they're not projected to be higher this year …
TAYLOR … “Part of that is we are seeing some strong trade headwinds, the strong U.S. dollar for instance makes the U.S a very attractive market, but also makes it harder for us to compete with markets around the world. We're also seeing increased competition come online, particularly from South America."
Taylor says this is why the USDA created the Regional Ag
Promotion Program, that will invest $1.2 billion dollars over the next five years to develop new markets in Southeast
Asia, Latin America, and Africa …
TAYLOR … “Where we see over the next 25+ years some really great economic opportunities, by 2050, one in four people on the planet will live on the African continent. And so, an opportunity to invest in some of these new markets, less traditional markets."
Tune in tomorrow for more on improving our export markets.
