INDIANAPOLIS (April 22, 2024) – Governor Eric J. Holcomb and First Lady Janet Holcomb returned Friday night from a trade mission with leaders from the agbiosciences and agriculture sectors as well as representatives of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC).
The delegation included: Alex Cochran, Chief Technology Officer, of DPH Biologicals; Mitch Frazier, CEO, of AgriNovus Indiana; Courtney Kingery, CEO, of Indiana Corn Marketing Council & Indiana Soybean Alliance; Don Lamb, Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture; Jerry Shively, Associate Dean for International Programs, College of Agriculture, Purdue University; Leonardo Chapula, Human Sector Marketing Specialist, Americas, U.S. Soybean Export Council; Doug Newcom, vice president of genetics and technology at the National Swine Registry; and Paul Siems, export sales manager at Weaver Popcorn.
Brazil and Mexico, like Indiana, both share robust agbiosciences and agricultural industries, advancing global services, products and solutions across agriculture, food production and animal health. Indiana trade between Brazil and Mexico topped $1.7 billion and $13.4 billion in 2023, respectively, and the state is already home to 14 Brazil-based and 13 Mexico-based business establishments. The Governor’s trip allowed some of Indiana’s leading agtech thinkers and innovators to share expertise and highlighted Indiana’s $58 billion-dollar ag economy in two key markets. More broadly, the trip to Mexico also highlighted new opportunities in emerging industries such as microelectronics and e-mobility.
