Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast kicked off the year with a busy month. Check out all the events we hosted and attended in our monthly recap blog!
Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast’s mission has always been to help U.S. companies increase their export sales. One of the main ways we do that is by attending and hosting events around the globe. In this monthly blog we highlight everywhere we went and everything we did during April 2024!
Marketing Directors & Program Committee Meeting
Arlington, VA
April 9-10
Early this month we held the annual Marketing Directors and Program Committee Meeting. Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast staff, activity coordinators, and representatives from 17 of our 23 member states gathered at The Westin Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia.
The meeting was an opportunity for Food Export staff members to share plans for RAPP, present preliminary 2023 results, and discuss program ideas for the 2025 UES application. Roundtable discussions were also held across several program areas. This year featured guest presentations from supplier Laura Taylor, creator of Mingle Mocktails; Teresina Chin, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) International Marketing Specialist; and Kenneth Cieciuch, Agricultural Economist with Global Market Analysis.
USDA Trade Mission to India
New Delhi, India
April 22-25
The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) hosted an Agribusiness Trade Mission to New Delhi, India with 130 participants. These included Food Export’s Chief Program and Partnership Officer Teresa Miller, 23 businesses, and 11 State Departments of Agriculture. The event consisted of engagements with USDA leadership, retail and site visits in New Delhi and the surrounding area, and multiple networking opportunities.
The total of U.S export to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka reached $1.7 billion in 2023. India’s modern retail sector, expanding middle class, and highly efficient e-retail make it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. This makes is a promising venue for a diverse range of U.S. exports.
This trade mission facilitated over 500 B2B meetings in New Delhi, therefore, unlocking new opportunities for growth in the U.S. agribusiness.
Seafood Trade Show at Seafood Expo Global
Barcelona, Spain
April 23 – 25
The Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global is the world’s largest seafood trade event, with Buyers, suppliers, media, and other seafood professionals from over 100 countries.
This year we had 12 U.S. suppliers from the Northeast that travelled to Spain for the show. Food Export Staff, including our dedicated Seafood Program Coordinator, Colleen Coyne, and our Seafood In-Market Representative, Alexander Wever, were in attendance and facilitated the event.
Pet Food Ingredients Buyers Mission at Petfood Forum
Kansas City, MO
April 29 – May 1
Food Export hosted the Pet Food Ingredients Buyers Mission at Pet Forum in Kansas City. The event offers a series of conferences and exhibitions that cater exclusively to the pet food manufacturing industry. This year 15 U.S. suppliers had the opportunity to meet with international buyers from Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, and Vietnam.
