Expanding agricultural trade opportunities is the main focus of the annual Governor’s Conference on Agricultural Trade, which will be held March 7 and 8 at the Hilton Richmond Downtown.
The conference is organized by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the Virginia Port Authority and Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.
Among highlights will be Gov. Terry McAuliffe reporting on the continued growth of agricultural exports from Virginia to foreign markets, and on efforts to continue cultivating trade relations with other countries.
“This conference just gets bigger and better every year, and that is a testament to the continuing growth in Virginia’s agricultural exports,” said Spencer Neale, VFBF vice president of commodity marketing. “It’s always a good conference for networking and learning more about worldwide agriculture trade opportunities and to hear the export numbers announced by the governor.”
Included in a lineup of speakers representing both the public and private sectors is John Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Port of Virginia. He will discuss delivering Virginia’s bounty to the world through the commonwealth’s ports system. Additionally, Ray Owens, senior economist and research advisor for the Federal Reserve in Richmond, and Dr. David Kohl, Virginia Tech professor emeritus, will give an economic outlook on emerging agricultural trade markets. Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore will give an in-depth look at Virginia agriculture and forestry exports in 2015.
Offering perspectives from the federal level will be Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Darci Vetter, chief U.S. agriculture negotiator. Vetter will provide insight into ongoing trade negotiations, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
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Chris Graham
