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Deputy Secretary Harden to Lead Sub-Saharan Africa Trade Mission

[ September 21, 2015   //   ]

USDA’s Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Krysta Harden is leading a trade mission to Accra, Ghana, November 17 – 20 with a goal to expand export opportunities for US agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Two years ago, I led a mission to southern Africa to launch USDA’s Sub-Saharan Africa Trade Initiative, which aims to expand U.S. agricultural and commercial ties in the region,” Harden said. “I am excited to return to Africa with a new group of U.S. agricultural leaders to further explore market opportunities, especially for small, minority and women-owned businesses.”

The delegation will meet with potential customers from more than a dozen countries across sub-Saharan Africa, forging relationships and learning about the market conditions and business environment in the region. This first-hand intelligence will help them develop strategies to start or expand sales to these key markets.

Participants will include representatives from companies representing a wide array of U.S. food and agricultural products, as well as leaders from state departments of agriculture and U.S. agricultural organizations.

With a strong economic outlook, a growing middle class, and surging demand for consumer-oriented foods, sub-Saharan Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions for U.S. agricultural exports. Over the past decade, U.S. agricultural exports to the region have grown by more than 50 percent, totaling $2.3 billion in 2014. Exports of consumer-oriented products have grown by nearly 90 percent in just five years, from $480 million in 2010 to a record $909 million in 2014.

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