Gipson Joins USDA Agribusiness Trade Mission to India

Photo: Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson is joining the United States Department of Agriculture Agribusiness Trade Mission to New Delhi, India, this week to expand the global reach for American food and agricultural producers. (Courtesy photo)

Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson is joining the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agribusiness Trade Mission to New Delhi, India, this week. According to USDA, this trade mission to India represents the largest trade mission led by USDA.

“I am honored to join the USDA Agribusiness Trade Mission to India. Actually, this represents my second official trip to India on behalf of the State of Mississippi,” said Gipson. “As the world’s most populated nation and with India’s growing economy and increasing middle-class population, there is tremendous potential to further strengthen our trading relationship with India.”

The delegation includes 47 U.S. businesses and organizations, as well as officials from 11 State Departments of Agriculture, seeking to expand the global reach for American food and agricultural producers.  Gipson serves on the Executive Board as the Immediate Past-President of the Southern U.S. Trade Association (SUSTA), a 14-member federally funded state organization which will cover his travel expenses. While there, Gipson and fellow delegation members will engage in targeted business-to-business meetings and site visits to build new trade linkages, strengthen existing partnerships, observe U.S. products in the marketplace and discover the latest Indian consumer food trends.

“We are seeing great interest here in India for several Mississippi products including pecans, blueberries, soybeans and soybean products. Cotton remains our major export, and we are continuing discussions in lowering trade barriers for our other products including poultry,” said  Gipson commenting on the progress of the Trade Mission which began today.

According to USDA Under Secretary Alexis M. Taylor, “India represents a growth economy for U.S. agribusinesses seeking to capture an increasing share of the household food purchases in the fifth-largest economy in the world. India’s rising middle-class consumers’ familiarity with American food products and increased purchasing power is a real opportunity for U.S. producers. This along with the Indian consumers’ trusted view of American food and agricultural products as high-quality has contributed to an 11 percent growth in U.S. agricultural and ag-related exports to India over the past two years.” 

During the Trade Mission, Gipson will be presenting on the ‘Role of Technology in Transforming Agriculture to Feed Future Demands’ specifically addressing the utilization of agricultural technology in Mississippi. The presentation will be made to India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the Department of Agricultural Research and Education.

Official proceedings for the USDA Agribusiness Trade Mission to India will go through Thursday, April 25.