10-11 FB Ag Exports

A big wheel when it comes to selling our ag products to the rest of the world.

Islam A. Siddiqui, Chief Agricultural Negotiator with the rank of the ambassador at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has a huge job. What he tries to do is influence other countries to import our agricultural products. What that means is that we end up exporting, translation agricultural sales. It’s not always easy. He has to convince other nations about genetically modified crops, the recent mad cow episode, in short make sure that foreign consumers are comfortable with our agricultural products. I had a conversation with him the other day. “Talk about Idaho as it relates to agriculture on the world stage. Idaho is an economy in terms of agriculture which benefits from agricultural exports, as I look at the figures, about one third of all products whether it be beef or dairy or wheat, peas, lentils that are exported to other countries to the tune of $6 billion last year and we in the USTR and USDA believe that our job is to promote exports from states including Idaho and to remove those barriers which our exporters face around the world.