Ag Commissioner Invites Kentucky Producers to Participate in Forum

FRANKFORT (May 30, 2018) — Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles announced today he will hold a roundtable with United States Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney on June 6 at 9:00 a.m. EDT at the Limestone Café located in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion.

“Kentucky agriculture needs international trade, but the rest of the world needs Kentucky agriculture,” Commissioner Quarles said. “I am honored to host Under Secretary McKinney and hope that farmers and ag businesses will take full advantage of this opportunity to interact with one of the chief architects of the Trump Administration’s trade policy.”

Seating for the roundtable with Under Secretary McKinney is limited. Those interested in attending the event must RSVP to shaylyn.burton@ky.gov by Monday, June 4. Media is invited to attend and must RSVP to sean.southard@ky.gov by Tuesday, June 5. Parking will be available near the Keeneland Sales Pavilion.

During his administration, Commissioner Quarles has placed an emphasis on locating new domestic and international markets for Kentucky producers. Last year, Commissioner Quarles attended a U.S. Meat Export Federation trade mission to Japan. Commissioner Quarles also was present in China for the signing of a trade protocol that lifted a ban on United States equine exports to China, a trade obstacle the Kentucky Department of Agriculture had worked on for two years. Next month, Quarles will lead a first-of-its-kind agriculture and agribusiness trade mission to Canada with the World Trade Center of Kentucky.