Virtual Trade Missions Will Be A Key Going Forward

Before the global pandemic, USDA and its Trade and Agricultural Affairs Mission Area planned to conduct eight trade missions in 2020. Those all, in the in the traditional person to person meeting and product demonstration sense, were postponed. But with shutdowns, the USDA transitioned those meetings on-line. And while the Department's Ted McKinney said face-to-face interactions are still essential when it comes to international Ag and trade as well as securing new and expanding existing markets for American farmers.

"We're going to add an enormous element of virtual trade that allows a lot more people to hear the pitch, and a lot more people could be doing selling."

The Undersecretary cited a recent virtual meeting.

"I was an a conference call with Africa, I had 7500 [people] on there. You just cannot do that if you get on a plane and go there. We have added some very valuable tools to the tool box."

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