Chief Operating Officer Mollie Buckler and USRPA consultant Stuart Hoetger
represented US Rice Producers Association on the USDA Agribusiness Trade Mission
to Panama City, Panama this week. The delegation, which included 26 agribusiness
and farm organizations and two state departments of agriculture was led by USDA
Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Under Secretary Alexis Taylor.
The trip itinerary included tours of local retail stores, a distribution center, the
opportunity to see retail promotions featuring U.S. products, and meetings with
industry members from the region. In addition to Panama, representatives from the
Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras
attended trade mission activities.
Over the last 10 years, the U.S. has exported an average of 46,000 MT to Panama
annually, and approximately 65,000 MT in the 2022 calendar year.
“This trade mission was an excellent opportunity to connect with Central American
rice importers and USDA-FAS colleagues from CAFTA-DR member countries,”
Buckler said. “The market for U.S. rice is changing dramatically in this region, and
it’s extremely important for USRPA to have boots on the ground as often as possible.
We’re proud to have been able to represent the U.S. rice farmer in this capacity this
week.”
Read the USDA’s Press Release about the Trade Mission here.