'Commodity prices to remain soft' - Deputy Administrator Jocelyn Brown, FAS

Jocelyn G. Brown is the Deputy Administrator in USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). In this position, she oversees USDA's international food and technical assistance programs. Before serving as Deputy Administrator, she covered trade policy issues for Asia, Africa and the Middle East, concentrating on China, India, and Africa Growth and Opportunity Act agricultural policy issues. She was also a Peace Corps volunteer at the Northwest Frontier Province Agriculture University in Peshawar from 1988-1990.

BR Research was fortunate enough to arrange a Q&A session with Ms. Brown regarding the USDA's presence in Pakistan, how our country compares to others in agriculture and what is the way forward.

<B>BRR: Tell us a little bit about the U.S. Department of Agriculture - how many countries does USDA maintain presence in? How much of USDA's reports/forecasts are based on primary research and what are some of the other data sources used in compiling the reports?</B>

<B>JB:</B> The United States Department of Agriculture focuses on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, and nutrition within the United States and abroad. We have a global network of 93 offices covering 171 countries. USDA's reports and forecasts are based on a mix of primary research and other sources, including media, subscriptions to data, contacts, satellite imagery, government reports, and any other relevant information that is deemed credible and reliable.

<B>BRR: In addition to market research and production forecasts, what is USDA doing to assist countries in improving their agriculture sector, particularly Pakistan? What are some of the programs USDA currently has in Pakistan?</B>

<B>JB:</B> It is important to note that our projects are collaborative efforts working to resolve some of the toughest agricultural problems faced by the United States, Pakistan, and the world. These efforts involve US universities, USDA researchers and experts, international organisations, and Pakistani government, university, and private sector partners. The results are beneficial to agriculture in both our countries and around the world.

USDA supports a lot of research, and we have exchange programs so that scientists can share findings, spread information, and collaborate on projects. For example, we currently have US scientists working with scientists in Pakistan to develop wheat varieties that are resistant to rust and cotton varieties that are resistant to cotton leaf curl virus. We are also working on watershed rehabilitation and irrigation improvement, improving soil fertility, and supporting animal and plant health. One project, for example, is using bio-control technologies to reduce pest populations in crops.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to inaugurate the National Bio-control Laboratory at the National Agricultural Research Centre earlier this month, alongside Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International Country Director Dr Babar Bajwa and Pakistan Agricultural Research Council Acting Chairman Dr Nadeem Amjad. Our joint efforts through this laboratory are expected to improve yields, minimise losses, and reduce the risk of exports getting rejected.
Another project is working with government officials to help Pakistani livestock owners prepare for emergencies such as droughts, earthquakes, or floods.

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