03/28/07 Ag trade opportunities in Asia

Washington Ag March 28, 2007 Overseas trade representatives with the Washington State Department of Agriculture highlighted some of their successes and future opportunities for the state's agricultural products for the state Senate Agriculture and Rural Economic Development Committee Tuesday. Scott Hitchman, who works for the WSDA in Japan, suggested how value can be added across a broad spectrum of commodities and products. Hitchman: "Value is added with traceability or documentation or being able to document the actual safety and quality we have in the product and its origin. Its identity." Hitchman said creating a simple system of traceability allowed Washington growers to get back their market for buckwheat in Japan. He sees future opportunities in fruit and vegetable extracts. Washington's representative in Taiwan Lin Gau-Shieng sees growing opportunities for the state's wines and micro brews. He says consumers in Taiwan are also concerned about meat safety. Shieng: "So I think especially the organic and natural beef. That is something that Washington can provide but Asian countries cannot. So there is a good opportunity for Washington." The state's trade rep in China pointed to the export potential there for frozen vegetables, sweet corn, blueberries, potato products and wine. I'm Bob Hoff.