Indiana Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann’s Trade Mission to Asia is resulting in new business for Indiana agriculture. The delegation has been on the road for 4 days and has had the chance to meet with government and business leaders. Ted McKinney, Indiana Director of Agriculture, told HAT that business is being done and several deals will be announced, “One deals with hardwoods and another deals with advancing commercial commodity crops namely corn and soybeans.” He added one agreement still in the works covers the new Agriculture and Innovation Institute. In addition, several of the agribusiness representatives are having success crafting their own trade deals, “Gutwein Popcorn and JBS United are expected to secure sizeable sales agreements during the mission. These would be in the areas of food, feed, and swine technology.”
McKinney said that the delegation has been welcomed warmly and that Indiana agriculture has a good reputation in Asia because of the many trade missions that have been done by previous administrations, “The relationships set by former Governors and Lt. Governors have opened doors for us.”
China was originally on the schedule for this mission, but a last minute change put the delegation going to Japan and not China. McKinney said a trade mission to China will take place later this year or next.
Coverage of the Lt. Governor’s Agricultural Trade Mission is made possible on HAT by Farm Credit Services of Mid-America.
