US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says Washington would continue to work for better trade ties with the Philippines, noting that the US market would be open to Philippine agricultural products beyond sugar, prepared fruits and bananas.

Vilsack stressed US trade with the Philippines is worth $3 billion annually and is bound to increase some more as investors pour in money for biotech feedstock production, agribusiness ventures and even biotech crops breeding.

Speaking in a briefing for the US agriculture trade and investment mission at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel yesterday afternoon, Vilsack explained the US is committed to enhance bilateral trade, noting that its agricultural exports are $115 billion annually.

“We at USDA are very committed to continue this trade effort [through] bilateral agreements, breaking trade barriers and multilateral agreements. We are committed as this administration is committed to trade,” he said. Vilsack is here in the country for a four-day US Trade and Investment Mission (TIM), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s first in Southeast Asia.

In the same briefing, Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap welcomed US investments and said there are many areas for fruitful investments by US corporations in biofuels, mariculture parks, agribusiness ventures and even food processing.

He noted the Vilsack mission is the first such mission to Asia under the Obama administration and this underscores the importance of the Philippines to the US government.

Vilsack also announced the provision of $8.5 million in assistance for the victims of tropical storm Ondoy and typhoon Pepeng, and added US troops would continue to provide relief assistance in places battered by disasters.

The assistance covers 7,000 metric tons (MT) of rice for about 430,000 families victimized by Ondoy and Pepeng.

Vilsack said the US is keen on developing more biotech crops which he said has the potential of feeding the entire world.

Asked about the subsidies provided by the US government for corn farmers who produce biofuel feedstock,

Vilsack said high productivity in corn has not compromised the cultivation of wheat and soybeans, which are key food products in the US heartland. He added the US has been working on a variety of second- and third-generation biofuel feedstock that can be sourced from trees, algae, biomass, trees and other materials.

Vilsack told the Manila Bulletin that Washington’s subsidy for farmers to make them competitive overseas is minimal and is within the limits set by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The US has been at odds with the European Union (EU) and other countries for the subsidies and the imposition of qualitative restrictions to fend off food exports.