USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor will lead 24 U.S. agribusinesses and organizations on a trade mission to Bogota, Colombia, on Aug. 13-15 to boost American agricultural exports and build upon the successes of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.
“Colombia is a significant growth market for U.S. agricultural exports. As Latin America’s third-most-populous country, it features an expanding middle class and rising consumer purchasing power,” Taylor said in a release. “Colombian consumers are hungry for the world-class food and agricultural products that the U.S. offers, and I am excited to see how this mission expands bilateral trade and provides new opportunities for U.S. agriculture.”
The National Swine Registry (NSR) will be one of the 24 organizations and agribusinesses on the trip. Doug Newcom, NSR vice president of genetics and technology, says the organization has participated in Agribusiness Trade Missions to India, China, South Africa and Ghana.
“We’re excited to participate in Colombia, to learn about the Colombian swine industry. The goal is to develop relationships with decision makers (government, academics, producers) to determine their needs from a breeding stock or genetic perspective. If we as NSR and America’s Best Genetics (ABG) can fill some of those needs with genetic material or genetic improvement programs, we will. We also look forward to meeting representatives from various state departments of agriculture and USDA cooperators to determine if there are ways to leverage funding for collaborative marketing efforts in Colombia or elsewhere,” Newcom says.
U.S. agricultural exports to Colombia reached a record $3.7 billion in 2023. Colombia ranks as the seventh-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports, while the U.S. is the top export market for Colombia’s agricultural products, USDA noted in a release. Colombia’s gross domestic product is expected to continue growing and remain slightly higher than the regional average.
U.S. Products Continue to Attract Interest
U.S. food and farm products are highly sought after in the Colombian market. A growing number of two-income households means consumers are increasingly interested in packaged and prepared foods, while substantial regulatory changes in packaging and taxes on products high in sugar, salt and saturated fats are helping drive demand for healthy foods, USDA explains.
Trade mission delegates will participate in business-to-business meetings with potential customers and policy discussions that will help build on the strong trade ties forged by the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.
In addition to Under Secretary Taylor, officials from the Mississippi, Wisconsin and Texas departments of agriculture, as well leaders from the following businesses and organizations representing the diversity of U.S. agriculture, will be a part of the mission:
1. Aero-Cos International, Marlboro, N.J.
2. American Commodity Company, LLC, Williams, Calif.
3. Ampac Seed Company, Tangent, Ore.
4. Bard Valley Date Growers, Yuma, Calif.
5. Beaver Street Fisheries, Jacksonville, Fla.
6. Best Buy Grocers, Inc., Seattle, Wash.
7. Butterball, LLC., Garner, N.C.
8. Erratic Oaks Vineyard dba Citation Wines and Centerstone Wines, Issaquah, Wash.
9. Estrada Foods Brokerage, Miami, Fla.
10. Eurosemillas, S.A. – Green Motion Avocados, Riverside, Calif.
11. Exclusive Brand Marketing, Miami, Fla.
12. Feast Global, Ocean Springs, Miss.
13. FSD International, Atlanta, Ga.
14. Hoogwegt U.S., Inc., Lake Forest, Ill.
15. Ice Cream Factory, Lebanon, Mich.
16. Lamex Food, Inc., Bloomington, Minn.
17. Lead (USA) Global Group, LLC., Monterey Park, Calif.
18. Midwest Premier Foods, Johnston, Iowa
19. National Swine Registry, West Lafayette, Ind.
20. River Global, Washington, DC
21. The Neil Jones Food Company, Vancouver, Wash.
22. Trim-Rite & Rantoul Foods, Carpentersville, Ill.
23. Tuxedo Farms / Tuxedo Corn Co., LLC., Olathe, Colo.
24. U.S. Dry Bean Council, Portland, Ore.
