News

USDA has outlined several program opportunities to strengthen commercial engagement, bolster food security, and expand market access in Venezuela. These efforts leverage USDA’s full range of trade promotion, capacity-building, and food assistance tools to support U.S. exporters and strengthen regional resilience as Venezuela continues to recover from recent earthquakes.

Some of the USDA-FAS support opportunities include: 

Market Promotion and Export Assistance 

• Working with approved U.S. agricultural cooperators to leverage Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program funds for exploratory market research, trade seminars, and consumer promotion activities within Venezuela. 
• Exploring the possibility of including Venezuela as a destination for an upcoming regional agribusiness trade mission, which would connect U.S. exporters directly with regional buyers. 
• Providing updated tools and resources for U.S. exporters. 

Credit and Export Financing 

• Promoting sales of U.S. farm products to Venezuelan importers through the GSM-102 Export Credit Guarantee Program, which guarantees payment to U.S. exporters and removes risk by providing an alternative credit option for Venezuelan purchases.   

Capacity Building and Fellowships 

• Hosting Venezuelan scientists and researchers through the Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program to exchange knowledge and support agricultural innovation. 
• Providing short-term technical training for Venezuelan agricultural professionals via the Cochran Fellowship Program to strengthen local regulatory frameworks and expand opportunities for safe, high-quality U.S. agricultural exports. 

Take Advantage of Emerging Market Opportunities 

To access the complete toolkit of USDA resources, check your company's eligibility for the GSM-102 program, and stay up to date as USDA-FAS evaluates regional agribusiness trade mission potential for early 2027, visit the FAS website at www.fas.usda.gov. 

Source: USDA-FAS Newsroom, September 10, 2026

In June 2026, Ukraine’s State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service agreed on a new international veterinary certificate for importing bovine embryos and oocytes from the United States into Ukraine. This certificate creates new opportunities for U.S. genetics exporters. 

Demand for U.S. bovine dairy genetics is expected to be strong, with 1st-year sales projected to exceed $100,000. As the Ukrainian  industry develops expertise in embryo transfer, demand is likely to increase
further.

Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Global Agricultural Information Network Report UP2026-0025, September 4, 2026

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS) has announced the participant list for its upcoming trade mission to Melbourne, Australia from August 30 to September 2, 2026. Through USDA-FAS agribusiness trade missions, U.S. agribusinesses connect directly with overseas buyers to expand market access and boost exports for U.S. producers. Luke J. Lindberg, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, will lead the delegation to Australia. The delegation includes 38 agribusinesses and trade organizations, as well as representatives from 10 State departments of agriculture. USLGE will be participating.

In 2025, Australia imported nearly $1.7 billion in U.S. agricultural products, making it the 18th-largest export market for U.S. agricultural products. In New Zealand, U.S. exports reached $612 million in 2025.

In addition to brokering business-to-business meetings, USDA-FAS staff and regional experts will hold in-depth market briefings and host site visits and networking events to strengthen trade relationships.

For more information on USDA trade missions, visit fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-missions.

Source: USDA-FAS Newsroom, August 24, 2026

As a possible solution to relieve the pressure on livestock farmers to obtain quality genetics from South Africa, a US delegation this week punted the idea to secure high-quality breeding stock from alternative sources. Given the current status quo where movement of live animals from South Africa to Namibia is severely restricted because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic, the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia in partnership with the Namibian Stud Breeders Association this week hosted a multiday roadshow with representatives of the USLGE and USDA-FAS.

The visit connected U.S. industry experts to Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform officials, as well as local breeders and agricultural stakeholders to discuss expanded trade and technical cooperation and how it will assist local breeders to obtain quality genetic material. The U.S. delegation led by USDA-FAS Agricultural Minister-Counselor Oliver Flake met livestock board and local stud breeders to gain insight into the depth and quality of local industry. The visit concluded with an industry discussion in Windhoek, where Namibian breeders and U.S. representatives identified practical opportunities for importing and exporting breeding animals and reproductive material.

The delegation’s visit to Namibia is part of a broader regional tour with stops in Zambia and Zimbabwe to deepen agricultural trade partnerships and promote scientific cooperation across the region.

Source: Mandisa Rasmeni, Namibian Economist, Agriculture, August 7, 2026

Namibian livestock producers face mounting pressure to secure high-quality breeding stock, as ongoing regional livestock disease outbreaks continue to disrupt the country’s traditional supply. For stud breeders and commercial producers alike, the disruption has underscored the urgency of diversifying access to superior breeding animals and reproductive material to strengthen the resilience of Namibia’s livestock sector.

In response, the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia (LLPBN), in partnership with the Namibian Stud Breeders Association (NSBA), this week hosted a multiday roadshow with representatives of USLGE and USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS). The visit brought U.S. industry representatives together with Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform officials, Namibian breeders and agricultural stakeholders to discuss how expanded trade and technical cooperation could help address the country’s breeding stock needs.

Over the course of the visit, the delegation, led by USDA-FAS Agricultural Minister-Counselor Oliver Flake, met with LLPBN and NSBA leadership to better understand the structure and priorities of Namibia’s stud breeding industry. The group toured leading breeding operations around Windhoek and visited UNAM’s Neudamm Agricultural College to see firsthand how Namibian breeders manage herd quality and disease resilience. The roadshow concluded with an industry discussion in Windhoek, where Namibian breeders and U.S. representatives identified practical opportunities for importing and exporting breeding animals and reproductive material.

LLPBN has identified the United States as a key alternative source of quality breeding stock for Namibian producers navigating current regional disease pressures.

Looking ahead, both sides expressed interest in building on this visit through continued technical exchange — including joint training, shared best practices in herd health and breed improvement, and closer coordination between Namibian and U.S. animal husbandry experts. Rather than a one-time engagement, the visit is the start of a long-term partnership that strengthens Namibia’s ability to safeguard and grow its livestock industry on its own terms.

The delegation’s visit to Namibia is part of a broader regional tour, with additional stops in Zambia and Zimbabwe, deepening agricultural trade partnerships and promoting scientific cooperation across the region.

Source: U.S. Embassy Windhoek, News, August 7, 2026

A delegation from the United States is visiting Namibia this week to explore opportunities for cooperation in livestock genetics. The delegation includes officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service based in Pretoria and from U.S. Livestock Genetics Export. The visit is being hosted by the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia in partnership with the Namibia Stud Breeders Association.

During the 3-day visit, the delegation will tour selected stud breeding farms around Windhoek to learn about Namibia’s livestock breeding industry and its genetic resources. The visit will end with a business-to-business networking session in Windhoek, where the delegation will meet Namibian stud breeders to discuss possible cooperation in the import and export of livestock genetic material.

Source: Justicia Shipena, The Namibian, August 5, 2026