U.S. Grains CouncilHOUSTON, Texas — U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney addressed the delegates and members of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) on Feb. 12, updating them on ongoing trade negotiations that will affect grains market access and announcing a $1.3 million grant for Council feed industry training programs in North Africa and the Middle East. Council representatives are meeting as part of the organization’s 15th International Marketing Conference and 58th Annual Membership Meeting in Houston, Texas. In his role, McKinney leads the development and implementation of the Department’s trade policy, oversees and facilitates foreign market access, and promotes opportunities for U.S. agriculture through various trade programs and high-level government negotiations. The North Africa and Middle East training efforts were recently launched with a memorandum of understanding and initial funding from the U.S. Department of State. “The partnership between the USDA and the Council helps support the work we do, cemented by a strong foundation of member support,” Keller said.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 13, 2018 18:22 UTC