A delegation of about 20 United States agribusinesses will be in Johannesburg during the week of October 31 to promote trade with and investment in the southern African region.

Agribusinesses in Southern Africa that participate in the program will meet with the US companies and learn about US credit facilities, trade benefits available under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and how to conduct business with American companies, according to a statement released yesterday by the embassy.

The mission, which is hosted by the US Department of Agriculture and led by Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Ellen Terpstra, will include representatives from sectors including dry grocery products, processed fruits and nuts, frozen foods, seafood, food processing technology, and consulting services for agricultural processing.

The United States imported nearly $880-million in agricultural, fish and forestry products from AGOA-eligible African countries in the first seven months of 2005, up 10,5% from a year earlier.

Major imports included fresh fruit, wine, value-added wood products, seafood and cocoa products.

During the same period the United States exported $708-million in agricultural, fish and forestry products to those countries, with wheat, rice and vegetable oil leading the way.

Agribusinesses from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland are invited to take part in the event, and the US Department of Agriculture has indicate that it will cover in-country costs for one representative per company.

Regularly updated trade statistics on AGOA.info include (Click to follow the links):