January 9, 2006

Purdue Agriculture faculty part of international trade mission

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Two Purdue University professors are part of a delegation traveling in Central America this week to create new trade opportunities for Indiana businesses.

Suzanne Nielsen, head of the Department of Food Science, and Maria Marshall, assistant professor of agricultural economics, are part of the Central America Agriculture Trade Mission. The six-day effort, which began on Sunday (Jan. 8), includes stops in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama.

An example of the connections that can be made is a Purdue Extension program that has matched graduate students who are being trained in market research with 15 agribusinesses to increase trade between Indiana and Latin America. The market researchers will gather information for the participating businesses during a 10-day research study this summer in Costa Rica.

To learn more about the mission and Nielsen's and Marshall's experiences during the trip, contact Vicki Duncan Gardner at (317) 232-4789, vgardner@lg.IN.gov, or Meggie Foster at (317) 234-4044, mfoster@isda.in.gov, to be put in contact with the Indiana Agricultural Mission in Central America. To learn more about the Purdue Extension program in Costa Rica, contact Kelli Selby at (765) 494-9831, cameronselby@purdue.edu

Writer: Beth Forbes, (765) 494-2722; forbes@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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