During the week of December 2, 2024, DATCP Secretary Romanski and staff from the International Agribusiness Center participated on the USDA trade mission to Morocco. The full delegation consisted of 50 U.S. agribusiness and trade groups--including U.S. Livestock Genetics Export, Inc. (USLGE), headquartered in Mount Horeb, WI, and the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB), headquartered in Madison, WI-- as well as 14 state departments of agriculture. U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) Administrator Daniel Whitley led the trade mission to expand U.S. farm and food exports to Morocco and other West African markets.
Morocco is the second-largest export market for U.S. agriculture in Africa. U.S. sales of farm and food products to the country topped $619 million last year, representing 16% of U.S. exports to the continent. American agricultural exports to Morocco have doubled since the U.S.--Morocco Free Trade Agreement entered into force in 2006.
During the course of the week, delegates attended USDA FAS market briefings and went on site visits to Zoopole Animal Husbandry Training Center, Tanger Med Port, Institut National de la Recherch Agronomique, Alf Sahel, El Jadida, and Moroccan National Milling and Bakery Schools. Participants also attended a reception at U.S. Consul General Marissa Scott's residence and held one-on-one meetings with Marco Lait, Nestle, MultiFood Group, and the Chamber of Commerce-Industry and Service from the settat region.
Pictured left to right: Shirley Acedo, DATCP Economic Consultant; Martin Sieber, President of USLGE; Jay Weiker, President of NAAB; Randy Romanski, DATCP Secretary; and Mark Rhoda-Reis, DATCP Export and Business Development Bureau Director