In mid-November, Agriculture Secretary Glickman announced a new program designed to develop and expand markets for American agricultural products. Under the program, participants buy the commodity samples, export them, and provide technical assistance on their use to importers. When the project is finished, USDA will reimburse the costs of procuring and exporting the samples. The deadline for applications is December 15. SW, Washington, DC 20250-1042.
Planning is still underway, but an outline of the program is available now at the forum web site .
Other topics of interest during the conference include biotechnology, WTO, global marketing and electronic commerce. On November 10, Agriculture Secretary Glickman announced a pilot program on export marketing for small-scale and minority producers, cooperative members, processors and others in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Recognizing that limited local marketing outlets can threaten the economic survival of small businesses, the program will prepare about 30 participants to be trainers by teaching them the basics of international marketing, and helping them identify, research, and take advantage of potential export opportunities. The 2-year program is slated to begin in the spring of 2000. Increasingly, farmers are adding value through techniques such as drying, canning, juicing, combining ingredients, handcrafting as well as unique packaging and creative marketing to find a niche in today's market.