Last month, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Georgia Grown staff, and several Georgia agribusinesses visited New Delhi, India, on an agribusiness trade mission sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. The trade mission was led by USDA Under Secretary for Trade & Foreign Affairs Alexis M. Taylor and included representatives from 47 U.S.-based agribusinesses and 11 State Departments of Agriculture.

“From pecans to poultry to peaches, Georgia farmers produce an incredible product, but the success of our farm families and our #1 industry depends on the ability to get these products to market,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “With their recent tariff reduction on U.S. agricultural goods and a population of more than one billion people, India represents a new market with incredible opportunity for Georgia producers. The relationships and progress made on this trip are a great step towards further expanding the global market for Georgia Grown goods, and it was an honor to attend on behalf of our state’s farmers.”

Throughout the week, participants representing a wide range of food and agricultural products connected with local importers to revitalize existing relationships and make new connections with Indian importers. Georgia was represented on the trip by Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Georgia Grown Business Director Sarah Cook, Georgia Pecan Growers Association Executive Director Mary Mikelyn Bruorton, Justin and Shelly Jones of Zorro Pecans, Brandon Harrell of Southern Roots, and Scott Hudson of Hudson Pecan Company. 

“As global tensions increase, it is imperative that Georgia producers diversify across as many responsible markets as possible,” said Hudson Pecan Company President & CFO Scott Hudson. “As the second most populous country in the world, the potential is vast, and there is little doubt that India can become a booming market for Georgia Grown pecans and other agricultural products. The more demand we can generate for our Georgia pecans, the higher our prices should climb, benefiting all farm families during the rise, and this trade mission was an important step as we worked to increase the demand for Georgia Grown products on a global scale.” 

“We could not be more satisfied with our results of the U.S.-India Agribusiness Trade Mission,” said Zorro Pecan Company Owner Justin Jones. “We had an opportunity to put our own Georgia Grown pecan products, Zorro Pecans, in front of buyers that would otherwise never have the chance to taste our true quality product.  None of this would have been imaginable without the help and guidance from the GA Dept of Agriculture. For a small business, like Zorro Pecans, to have an opportunity to sell products in the international market ultimately strengthens our ability to sell domestically. When this happens, it benefits everyone in the ag community, especially the farmers back in Georgia.” 

“The Indian market is going to be crucial for the future of our growers as we continue to operate in a global marketplace,” said Executive Director of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association Mary Mikelyn Bruorton. “This trade mission allowed us to not only grow our current relationships with established Indian buyers but to develop much-needed new connections to move our product. As part of the delegation from Georgia and representing our growers, I am thrilled with the initial outcomes we are seeing so far and for the united efforts that we were able to present with the American Pecan Council.