A high-powered US trade delegation will visit India later this month to explore opportunities in the country’s huge agribusiness sector and further promote American products among India’s rising middle class.

“India represents a growth economy for the US agribusinesses seeking to capture an increasing share of the household food purchases in the fifth-largest economy in the world,” said Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affair Alexis Taylor.

From April 22 to 25, Taylor will lead a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) agribusiness trade mission to Delhi.

“India’s rising middle-class consumers’ familiarity with American food products and increased purchasing power is a real opportunity for US producers,” Taylor said.

“This, along with the Indian consumers’ trusted view of American food and agricultural products as high-quality has contributed to an 11 per cent growth in the US agricultural-related exports to India over the past two years,” she said.

While on the trade mission, participants will engage in targeted business-to-business meetings and site visits to build new trade linkages, strengthen existing partnerships, observe US products in the marketplace, and discover the latest Indian consumer food trends.

Participants will also receive in-depth market briefings from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and industry trade experts.

In a statement, the USDA said that last year, India reduced tariff requirements for US poultry products, vegetables, fruits, pulses, and tree nuts, strengthening the agribusiness trade relationship between the US and India.

The trade mission will follow up on those wins and secure an expanding number of new purchase agreements for American farmers, ranchers and producers, it said.