USDA OPENS REGIONAL EXPORT OUTREACH OFFICE IN SACRAMENTO
                                                               
                                           Release No. 0388.98 
                                                               
                                   Tom Amontree  (202) 720-4623
                                             tamontree@usda.gov
                            Judith G. Goldich    (202) 720-0328
                                           goldich@fas.usda.gov
                                                               
USDA OPENS REGIONAL EXPORT OUTREACH OFFICE IN SACRAMENTO
     Sacramento, Sept. 25, 1998 Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Richard Rominger
today opened a new regional USDA Export Outreach Office in Sacramento, Calif.,
to assist exporters of agricultural products throughout the western United
States.

      "Exports are vital to the health of U.S. agriculture, the family farm, and
the entire U.S. economy.  They also provide jobs in food processing,
transportation, and manufacturing."  Rominger said.  "This office grew out of our
partnership with the California State Department of Agriculture, and demonstrates
how much the federal and state governments can accomplish when they work together
as a team."

     USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service also has export outreach offices in Des
Moines, Iowa, and Portland, Ore., and will be opening additional regional offices
in Dallas and Atlanta this fall.   

     "One of the advantages of having our new regional office located in the
Sacramento World Trade Center is that we share the location with other federal,
state, and local agencies, including the Department of Commerce and the
Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce," Rominger said.  "We appreciate the
support and cooperation provided by the World Trade Center's executive director,
Brooks Ohlson, and the head of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, Rusty
Hammer." 
     
     The outreach office will work to develop active partnerships with key
groups in the area, such as state departments of agriculture, universities, trade
and economic development groups, state and local governments, regional trade
centers, and food industry and farm organizations to alert industry and
commercial interests about overseas opportunities and sources of private and
public export assistance.

     The head of the new office is Bonnie Borris of FAS, and the office is
located at 917 7th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 (tel. 916-447-9827; fax 916-443-
2672; e-mail fascalif@ windjammer.net). 

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