Just last week the United
States Chief Agricultural negotiator, Isi Siddiqui, visited the state of
Arkansas to discuss increasing American exports and jobs. [Video shows a soybean
field, a grain storage facility, the state capitol, and a tractor.] Ambassador
Siddiqui traveled the state to participant in round table meetings with local
farmers and ranchers and to visit agricultural research and production sites.
He also shared how the Obama administration is working to boost US agricultural
exports that support jobs for Arkansans. [Video shows a city street with
traffic, on-farm storage bins, a fidl, the capitol, and a combine in a field.]
We caught up with the
ambassador while he and his team were in Stuttgart, Arkansas while touring the
Riceland Food facility. [Video shows a team of people talking and touring the
Riceland Food facility.]
[University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research and Extension
University of Arkansas System. Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board. Isi Siddiqui,
U.S. Chief Agricultural Negotiator]
I think soybeans, as you know,
are very much in demand and last year in China alone we exported nine and a half
billion dollar worth of US soybeans. I know Arkansas is number ten in soybean
production, so it plays a critical role in the economy of this state. Quality of
soybean is one issue we run into so we have signed agreements where we want to
assure buyers in other foreign markets that we are supplying, high quality
soybeans when they buy from the US.
Demand for agriculture products
around the world is great. Made in or produced in USA has a lot of demand so we
continue to, actually last three years have been the highest record levels of
agriculture exports. Last year for example, we exported a record level of 137
billion dollars of agriculture products. Many of them came from Arkansas, like
cotton, poultry, beef, soybeans and other products.
[For more information, visit www.uaex.edu. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research and
Extension University of Arkansas System. Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board]
University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
2301 South University Avenue
Little Rock, Arkansas 72204 • USA
Phone (501) 671-2000 • Fax (501) 671-2209
