Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and China's Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu signed an historic Plan of Strategic Cooperation that will guide the two countries' agricultural relationship for the next 5 years.
"This plan builds on the already strong relationship our nations enjoy around agricultural science, trade, and education. It looks to deepen our cooperation through technical exchange and to strengthen coordination in priority areas like animal and plant health and disease, food security, sustainable agriculture, genetic resources, agricultural markets and trade, and biotechnology and other emerging technologies," Vilsack said.
In the 2011 fiscal year, China became the top market for U.S. agricultural goods, purchasing $20 billion in U.S. agricultural exports. The value of U.S. farm exports to China supported more than 160,000 American jobs in 2011, on and off the farm across a variety of sectors.
Monday February 20, 2012/ USAgNet/ United States.
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