Conference to highlight agricultural exports; early registration ends July 30 | Online Athens

Tifton, Ga. – Exporting agricultural goods—which include forestry products—will take the spotlight Sept. 25-26 in Savannah as farmers and agricultural businesses from around the country gather to enhance their knowledge at the 2013 International Agribusiness Conference and Expo, hosted by the University of Georgia and Georgia Southern University.

“We see this very much as a growing market,” said Mark Troughton, global accounts executive at the Georgia Ports Authority. “One thing this country does very well is farm. We think we’re going to be the breadbasket for a lot of areas in the world, not just our area, for the next 20 years.”

While the Port of Savannah is already No. 2 in the nation for export tons, the Georgia Ports Authority hopes to double its capacity within the next decade. That’s good news for Georgia farmers.

Doubling capacity means that larger shipments can be exported and allows Georgia farmers and businesses to increase their economic productivity around the world. Already, almost 39 percent of shipments exported through the Savannah port are agricultural commodities.

Georgia is the top exporter of U.S. poultry, pecans and wood pulp. Savannah leads the nation in exporting poultry, the state’s most valuable commodity according to the 2011 Georgia Farm Gate Value Report.

via Conference to highlight agricultural exports; early registration ends July 30 | Online Athens.