The Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will co-host the 13th annual Virginia Governor’s Conference on Agricultural Trade on March 30.

Given the current health and safety guidelines, this year’s conference will be held virtually.

This year’s event, co-hosted by Virginia’s Office of the Governor, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Farm Bureau Federation, and the Port of Virginia, will include distinguished speakers in both agricultural trade policy and trade economics.

Conference speakers and panelists will include Gov. Ralph Northam; Thomas Vilsack, U.S. secretary of agriculture; Dame Karen Pierce, ambassador of the United Kingdom to the United States; and an interactive session featuring marketing and trade representatives from Canada, the United Kingdom, and China.

Because of the virtual nature of this year’s event, there will be no reception following the conference. However, all conference participants will be invited to an in-person fall 2021 reception as public health and safety guidelines allow. The exact date of this event will be announced at a later time.

Individuals, groups, and companies interested in participating in the conference may register online or call Event Coordinator Jolene Boatright at 540-664-4298 or [email protected].