KDA Participates in Heartland Tour in Japan

September 30, 2019 – The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) was among 23 different organizations represented during the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Heartland Tour in Tokyo and Sendai, Japan, Sept. 1–7. Suzanne Ryan-Numrich, KDA international trade director, and Bob Haselwood, Berryton, Kansas Soybean Commission, represented the state on the mission. The Heartland Tour visited Japan upon the announcement of the U.S.–Japan bilateral agreement. “The agreement is exciting for Kansas. Japan is consistently one of our leading and most valuable trade partners,” said Ryan-Numrich. “In 2018, Kansas exported over $754 million in agricultural commodities to Japan. This agreement will reduce tariffs and put us at a more level playing field with our competitors.” Read more.