WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney is leading an agribusiness trade mission to India Oct. 30-Nov. 3. Making his first international trip as Under Secretary, McKinney will head a delegation of approximately 50 business, trade association and state government leaders who are seeking to grow U.S. agricultural exports to the world’s second-most-populous country.

“U.S. agricultural exports to India have grown nearly 250 percent over the past decade, but the country’s barriers impede exports of many of our products,” McKinney said. “On this trip, I look forward to not only promoting U.S. farm and food products, but also to meeting with my Indian government counterparts to build relationships and address key trade policy issues in an effort to improve American access to this important market.”

Mission participants will travel to New Delhi and Mumbai, connecting with potential customers and learning first-hand about local market conditions. In-country staff from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service will arrange meetings between U.S. delegates and more than 150 Indian companies, as well as with importers from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka who will travel to India for the mission. Participants will also meet with government and industry officials and visit local processing facilities and retail outlets.

U.S. agricultural exports to India totaled nearly $1.3 billion in 2016, with tree nuts, cotton, pulses, fresh and processed fruits, and prepared foods accounting for more than 80 percent of those exports. India is also a major market for U.S. ethanol exports. The United States is India’s top ethanol supplier, with sales totaling nearly $176 million in 2016.

Mission participants include Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson and North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, as well as representatives from the following companies and organizations:

1. Al Khayrat International, USA, Piscataway, N.J.
2. Almond Board of California, Modesto, Calif.
3. America’s Best Genetics, West Lafayette, Ind.
4. American Embryo Transfer Association, Champaign, Ill.
5. American Seed Trade Association, Alexandria, Va.
6. Badger State Fruit Processing, Inc., Pittsville, Wis.
7. Blue Diamond Growers, Sacramento, Calif.
8. California Olive Committee, Fresno, Calif.
9. CHS Inc., Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
10. Global Agro Commodities, LLC, Chester, Mont.
11. Global Export Marketing Co., Ltd., New York, N.Y.
12. Global Processing, Inc., Kanawha, Iowa
13. Global Tastes, Irvine, Calif.
14. Growth Energy, Washington, D.C.
15. Hudson Exports, Inc., Edison, N.J.
16. JM Grain, Garrison, N.D.
17. LT Foods, Ltd., Cypress, Calif.
18. Marquis Energy, Hennepin, Ill.
19. Pacific Valley Foods, Inc., Bellevue, Wash.
20. POET, LLC, Sioux Falls, S.D.
21. Premium Peanut, LLC, Douglas, Ga.
22. Reliance Agro, Missouri, Texas
23. Renewable Fuels Association, Washington, D.C.
24. Scoular, Minneapolis, Minn.
25. The Ginger People, Marina, Calif.
26. The Redwood Group, Mission, Kan.
27. U.S. Grains Council, Washington, D.C.
28. U.S. Livestock Genetics Export, Inc., Mount Horeb, Wis.
29. U.S. Soybean Export Council, Chesterfield, Mo.

Learn more about how USDA trade missions open doors and deliver results for U.S. exporters by visiting https://www.fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-missions.

–USDA FAS

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