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Jamie Zmitko-Somers
Director, Agriculture Development Division
Welcome to the first edition of the Food & Ag Business Development Bulletin. My name is Jamie Zmitko-Somers and I am the director of the Agriculture Development Division within the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. I have been with MDARD for over 20 years, with many of those years leading the International Marketing Program. The Agriculture Development Division's mission is to deliver expertise and leadership to support economic development in Michigan's food and agriculture industries. We help businesses navigate the licensing process and offer exporting assistance, regional business development information, grant funding support and research and educational materials. Our team is personally invested in the success of food, ag and forest product businesses and are committed to supporting the unique solutions that will help them thrive.
The newsletter will focus on different program areas and this month features the International Marketing Program. The program’s assists Michigan food and agricultural businesses in developing domestic and international market opportunities to effectively grow their business. International Marketing Program services include: Consulting, Market Entry, Export Education, Market Research, Export Documentation, and Cash Reimbursement.
Whether you are a new recipient or a previous recipient of the "New Market Developer," I hope you enjoy this new format covering programs, upcoming events, and information relative to all the program areas offered by MDARD’s Agriculture Development Division with the ultimate goal of growing the food, agriculture and forest products industries in Michigan.
In this issue:
How can our team help your business grow? Contact us at MDARD-AgD@Michigan.gov.
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 Michigan Pavilion at 2022 Sweets & Snacks Expo
SUCCESS STORY
Twenty-one Michigan companies capitalized on a resurgence of passion at domestic, in-person trade shows this Spring and Summer, thanks to support from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The International Marketing Program recently assisted several Michigan food and agriculture companies exhibit at three domestic trade shows: the National Restaurant Association Show, the Sweets & Snacks Expo, and the Summer Fancy Food Show.
In total, the exhibiting companies estimated the following results:
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920
New international and domestic buyer contacts established.
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$7.4 million
Domestic and export sales projected within the next 12 months
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Brad Conklin, founder of Chunk Nibbles, said exhibiting at Sweets & Snacks Expo was the best thing he has ever done for his company. “It was a high energy atmosphere and we worked as hard as we could to capitalize on the extensive list of attendees walking around,” he said.
 MARKET SPOTLIGHT
Mexico - a key U.S. trading partner - offers prime opportunities for Michigan food, agriculture, forest products companies looking to expand into new markets. In 2021, Mexico ranked as the second largest market for Michigan food, agriculture and forest product exports with a total of $292 million in exports according to the U.S. Census bureau.
 The United States is Mexico’s largest trading partner, with 80 percent of Mexican exports flowing into the nation and over 43 percent of its imports originating in the U.S. Better yet, several U.S. agriculture and food product exports to Mexico have rapidly grown over the last decade.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service, the total value of U.S. agriculture exports to Mexico was $26.6 billion. The top U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico in 2021 were:
- Corn: $4.72 billion (87% growth over the last 10 years).
- Soybeans: $2.67 billion (44% growth over the last 10 years).
- Dairy Products: $1.79 billion (46% growth over the last 10 years).
- Pork & Pork Products: $1.68 billion (49% growth over the last 10 years).
- Poultry Meat & Products. (ex. eggs): $1.33 billion (27% growth over the last 10 years).
With a population of 126 million people and close proximity to the U.S., Mexico is a consistent market for the nation's food and agriculture products. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Service Agency found several key advantages for exporters in Mexico:
- The U.S. and Mexico have highly integrated economies with shared familiarity over business practices.
- United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement provides better market access.
- Import procedures are becoming more standardized.
- Greater knowledge and interest in organic and specialty products are opening new product opportunities at the retail level.
- There are several major urban areas, where income is higher, and people tend to look for imported and trending products.
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GRANT ALERT
MDARD is seeking applications for the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant program to support agricultural stakeholders in the seafood processing sector. Funded through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service, this program provides relief and assistance to eligible seafood processing facilities and processing vessels in response to the ongoing impacts from COVID-19. The grants will provide cost-reimbursement for eligible expenditures that occurred between January 27, 2020, and December 31, 2022.
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Stories from the June issue of the Michigan Craft Beverage Council Industry Newsletter:
- Great Lakes International Hard Cider and Perry Competition Results
- Dirt to Glass 2022: Conference Registration is Open
#CraftBevMIWay is Back!
- Beyond DEI: Social Justice in Our Lifetime
- Save the date for MSU Hop Research Field Day on July 13
- In The News
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NEWS AND RESOURCES
 MDARD, Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC) and the MSU Product Center are partnering with Meijer to connect their market format stores (Bridge Street, Capital City, Rivertown and Woodward Corner) to Michigan food and beverage suppliers through a local vendor event. The event will include a presentation from Meijer market format store directors on how vendors can do business with Meijer market format stores, resources available through PMBC, MDARD and MSU Product Center, and pre-scheduled 1:1 meetings with vendors and buyers/category managers.
Interested businesses should submit an application by July 15.
USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) provides timely reports on foreign markets through the Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN) database. An average of 2,000 reports are added each year, with reports going back to 1995.
GAIN reports are compiled by FAS’ global market intelligence network, which includes FAS foreign service officers and locally engaged staff in over 90 overseas offices world-wide. They provide on-the-ground intelligence, insight, and analysis on nearly 200 countries, delivering information on foreign agricultural markets, crop conditions, and agro-political dynamics of interest to U.S. agriculture.
MDARD administers various grants, including the federal Specialty Crop Block Grant and the state-funded Value-Added & Regional Food Systems Grant and Rural Development Fund Grants. The purpose of the grants is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, promote expansion of value-added agriculture production within the state, and support infrastructure in rural communities.
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Midwest Buyers Mission
July 25, 2022 | Grand Rapids, MI
Focused Trade Mission to Toronto
September 7-9, 2022 | Toronto, Canada
SIAL Paris
October 15-19, 2022 | Paris, France
Focused Trade Mission to Korea
October 26-28, 2022 | Seoul, South Korea
The Global Produce and Floral Show
October 27-29, 2022 | Orlando, FL
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Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Agriculture Development Division
MDARD-AgD@Michigan.gov
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