The United States department of agriculture (USDA) has announced that deputy secretary of agriculture, Krysta Harden, will lead a trade mission to Accra, Ghana in November this year 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 US agricultural and commercial ties in the region," Harden said. "I am excited to return to Africa with a new group of US 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.
Participants will include representatives from companies representing a wide array of food and agricultural products, as well as leaders from state departments of agriculture and US agricultural organisations.
According to a USDA press statement, sub-Saharan Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions for US agricultural exports with a strong economic outlook, a growing middle class, and surging demand for consumer-oriented foods.
Over the past decade, US agricultural exports to the region have grown by more than 50%, totalling US$2.3 billion in 2014.
