March 11, 2010

Outlook good for ag exports, trade workshop speakers note

NORFOLK—While the United States saw a 14 percent decrease in agricultural exports last year, Virginia saw a 5 percent increase.

That announcement was part of remarks Gov. Bob McDonnell made March 3 at a workshop on agricultural trade.

The commonwealth exported a record $2.3 billion in agricultural products in 2009, landing it among the top 10 agricultural exporting states, up from 11th in 2008.

“Increased exports mean more jobs and economic growth in Virginia,” McDonnell noted.
The second annual International Agricultural Trade Workshop opened shortly after the Obama administration released its trade agenda, which proposes to double U.S. exports in five years.

Everett Eissenstat, an assistant U.S. trade representative, told workshop participants that “around the world, families are buying American food.” While ag exports and U.S. exports in general suffered in 2009, “the good news is they’re starting to rebound.”

Eissenstat said efforts are ongoing to secure viable trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. “At the same time we’re not ignoring agreements with other countries,” he added. The first round of negotiations for a trans-Pacific agreement will be held this month.

Michael Scuse, deputy undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, echoed Eissenstat’s optimism. “We believe that in 2010 agricultural exports will be just over $100 billion. … It’s really most impressive when you go back and look at everything that’s happened in the world economy since 2008.”

The trade workshop was organized by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the Virginia Port Authority and Virginia Tech.

Contact Pam Wiley, VFBF publications editor, at 804-290-1128.