2007 India Press Releases

Remarks By U.S. Ambassador To India David C. Mulford, At The Inauguration Of The “American Food Festival” Gurgaon, India

September 14, 2007

As Prepared for Delivery

It is a pleasure to be in Gurgaon today as part of Spencer’s American Food Festival.  I am here to join representatives from the U.S. food industry and our own U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service to showcase healthy, high-quality American food products. As a person who grew up in the American heartland, the great Midwestern farm belt, I am pleased to be here with the representatives of the industry groups representing the work of American farmers.

Over the last 15 years India has opened its markets to meet the growing demand for an array of food products from around the world.  From a very low base, U.S. exports of fruits, nuts, and other consumer food products to India have increased 25 percent annually for the last several years.  We are particularly pleased that Indians are developing a taste for California almonds, grapes and prunes; Washington State apples; dried green peas and beans and fresh pears from the Pacific Northwest; as well as soy and other food products from across our nation.

Americans are already fond of many Indian agricultural products.  In fact, India enjoys a very large agricultural trade surplus with the United States.  So food is joining the many ways in which Indians and Americans are developing closer ties.  In support of this growing affinity for one another’s products, we believe India should further lift restrictions on other types of American agricultural products, either through lower tariffs or eliminating unnecessary phytosanitary requirements.  Lower tariffs for American food products would provide consumers from all segments of Indian society with greater choice and lower prices.

We are pleased to be partnering with Spencer's, one of the oldest and largest food retail chains in India, to showcase products from America’s farms.  During this American Food Festival, Spencer’s will display and promote a range of consumer food products from different regions of the United States at its stores in Delhi and Mumbai over the next few weeks.  I hope you will come and sample the quality products on display throughout the festival.

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