A delegation of state government and business officials are in Mexico this week for a trade mission focused on various industries, including agriculture.
Those traveling to Guadalajara, a city in the Mexican state of Jalisco, and also to Mexico City include Gov. Jay Inslee, representatives from the state departments of Commerce and Agriculture, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, business leaders and other government representatives.
Agricultural representatives on the trade mission are mostly from the dairy industry, including those from the Dairy Farmers of Washington.
State commerce and agriculture officials said that while representatives are mostly from the Seattle area — none are from the Yakima Valley — the delegation will attend several meetings where issues impacting the Yakima Valley’s agriculture industry will be discussed.
“Yakima County dairy farmers and fruit farmers will benefit from (the state Department of Agriculture) and other groups maintaining trade connections with Mexico’s government and business leaders,” said Mike Louisell, a state Department of Agriculture spokesman. “There are accomplishments resulting from any trade mission — some are immediate benefits and some benefits are long-term in being realized.”
Hector Castro, the Department of Agriculture communications director who is in Mexico as part of the delegation, said in a phone interview Monday that the trade mission also provides insight on how Washington state products are promoted in the country.
During the delegation’s first day in Guadalajara on Monday, the group visited a Costco, where dairy industry representatives were able to see how dairy products were displayed and sold. They also visited a Wal-Mart, where they saw a prominent display of Washington apples, Castro said.
“That could be useful for the industry folks (back home) who are trying to decide how much effort to put in some of these promotions,” he said.
The delegation also will tour a Mexican wholesale produce market in Guadalajara and meet with a Mexican representative who has worked with the Washington Apple Commission and Northwest Cherry Growers.
The Mexico City portion of the trade mission, which starts Wednesday, will include a series of discussions on the North American Free Trade Agreement, also known as NAFTA. Recently, President Donald Trump said he would renegotiate rather than terminate the agreement. NAFTA is important for the apple industry. Mexico, along with Canada, buys about 40 percent of the state’s exports, according to figures cited by the Washington Apple Commission.
Gov. Inslee, who will travel to Mexico City on Friday, will also meet with Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs Luis Videgaray, Secretary for the Environment Rafael Pacchiano Alamán and Secretary of Agriculture José Eduardo Calzada Rovirosa. He also will meet with U.S. Ambassador Roberta Jacobsen and other high ranking government officials. During those meetings, Inslee and Videgaray intend to sign a memorandum of understanding on clean energy.
Source- YakimaHerald