By Godson Umejiego, Bureau Chief, The Americas
US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley arrived in Casablanca Monday to begin a USDA-sponsored agribusiness trade mission, Cyber Era NG learns.
We gather that Whitley is leading a delegation of nearly 50 US agribusinesses and trade groups and 14 state departments of agriculture to expand US farm and food exports to Morocco and other West African markets.
“I am honoured to lead this delegation to Casablanca as we work to strengthen vital connections, grow US agricultural exports, and showcase the broad array of products American agriculture has to offer,” said Whitley.
Morocco is the second-largest export market for US agriculture in Africa. US sales of farm and food products to the country topped US$619 million last year, representing 16 per cent of US exports to the continent. American agricultural exports to Morocco have doubled since the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement entered into force in 2006.
Morocco offers a stable market and growing economy and serves as a key distribution hub for the African continent. The country is already a major importer of bulk and intermediate commodities from the United States and its expanding food processing sector and rising consumer demand are creating new potential for sales of consumer-oriented products. US exporters have opportunities in numerous sectors, including beef, dairy, feed grains, live animals and genetics, rice, seafood, seed potatoes, soybeans, and tree nuts.
Media Availability
Administrator Whitley will join Indiana State Department Director of Agriculture Don Lamb, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam, North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Goehring, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr, and Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Randy Romanski for a media teleconference on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. EST. Reporters interested in participating should RSVP by emailing to press-fas@usda.gov for dial-in instructions by 12 p.m. EST on Wednesday Dec.4.
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