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Nebraska’s governor announces first trade mission

Agriculture will be a big focus of Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts’ first foreign trade mission.

The governor, along with state agriculture and economic development officials, will travel to Denmark, Belgium and Italy in June.  Among the stops will be a major European food show in Milan, Italy and a meeting with officials of Danish biotechnology firm Novozymes.

“We’ve got the opportunity with the Milan trade show be able to highlight Nebraska agricultural products, build upon this ‘agribusiness hub’ (study) that the Omaha Chamber released, and work with companies like Novozymes to try to get them to expand here in Nebraska,” Ricketts said.

Novozymes already has a presence in the state with its enzyme plant located on the Cargill biorefinery campus in Blair.  Ricketts said he wants to help develop that relationship, “so that when they’re looking to expand, they expand here.”

Asked by a reporter if Novozymes might be looking at expansion, Ricketts responded, “Nothing I can talk about—let’s put it that way,” he said.

Ricketts discussed the trade mission during an appearance Thursday at the Nebraska Ethanol Board’s annual ethanol forum in Omaha.  Here is an excerpt from his remarks.

AUDIO: Gov. Pete Ricketts