Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2014-03-31.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to A UK Strategy for Agricultural Technologies, if he will list the activities undertaken by the UK Trade and Investment Business Ambassador to champion UK agri-tech; and which early stage markets have been identified for future growth.

Mr David Willetts

James Townshend, the UK Business Ambassador for agri-tech, has undertaken the following activities to raise the UK’s reputation in agri tech; to support inward investment and exports:

2013

London – 18 April. Met Hamish Renton, UK dairy specialist, in advance of visit to Qatar in May 2013.

London – 29 April. Met my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Owen Paterson), to discuss HMG Agri-Tech Industrial Strategy.

London – 30 April. Attended and delivered the keynote speech at the UK Dairy Export Forum.

London – 8 May. Met the Ambassador of Belarus to the UK to discuss potential business opportunities in Belarus for UK agricultural companies.

Qatar – 20 – 23 May. Led a scoping mission aimed at positioning UK companies to win potential contracts. .

Turkey – 1 September. Visited the Agroexpo/Animal Expo, Eurasia.

Angola 8 – 9 October. Led, with my noble Friend Lord Marland, a multi-sector trade mission to Luanda, which included calls on the Angolan Ministers for Finance, Petroleum, Agriculture, Defence, Energy, Trade & Industry and Education.

2014

Burma 19 – 23 January. A scoping visit and meetings with key decision makers and practitioners.

Early stage markets already identified are Angola and Qatar and we continue to keep our activity under review.