US agricultural export have grown 250 per cent: Official

WASHINGTON: American agricultural products have experienced a whopping 250 per cent growth in its exports to India in the last decade, a senior US official has said.

US Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney made the remarks ahead of his five-day visit to India starting Monday.

"US agricultural exports to India have grown nearly 250 per cent over the past decade, but the country's barriers impede exports of many of our products," he said.

McKinney is leading an agribusiness trade mission to India from October 30 to November 3 with stops in New Delhi and Mumbai.

On his first international trip in this position, he will head a delegation of approximately 50 business, trade association and state government leaders who are seeking to grow US agricultural exports to the world's second-most- populous country.

"On this trip, I look forward to not only promoting US farm and food products, but also to meeting with my Indian government counterparts to build relationships and address key trade policy issues in an effort to improve American access to this important market," McKinney said.

US agricultural exports to India totaled nearly USD 1.3 billion in 2016, with tree nuts, cotton, pulses, fresh and processed fruits, and prepared foods accounting for more than 80 percent of those exports.

India is also a major market for US ethanol exports.

The United States is India's top ethanol supplier, with sales totaling nearly USD 176 million in 2016.