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Scott Walker on Free Trade
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Milk exports up; but also ginseng exports to China
Agricultural exports grew by 6% through the first three quarters of 2013, while dairy exports grew by 34%.We made major investments in agriculture this year. At the University of Wisconsin, we are expanding the Dairy Resource Center at Babcock Hall
and building a new Meat Science and Muscle Biology Laboratory.
We are proud to be America's Dairyland, but we are also one of the top states for corn, soybeans, potatoes, cherries, and other foods. Many may be surprised to know we are the number one
producer of cranberries in the US. And 95% of the ginseng exported to China comes from our state. Last April, we signed a ten-year agreement while on my trade mission in China worth between $150 and $200 million.
Not only is Asia a major market for our
ginseng, many people now come to north central Wisconsin to tour our ginseng operations. Food- and beverage-related tourism continues to grow. From tours of breweries, cheese factories, and even spice operations, Wisconsin is a great destination.
Source: 2014 State of the State Address to Wisconsin legislature
, Jan 22, 2014
Global opportunity: Get WI products out to the world
The state's facing a fundamentally changed marketplace to which we have to respond. Like Wisconsin companies, our competition isn't just next door but also across the world. As a result, we must transform our government and business environment to compet
globally. With global competition also comes global opportunity. For instance, 96% of the world's population live and consume products outside of the US. Wisconsin businesses who want to grow, expand and create new, good-paying jobs need to be able to
get their products out to the world in a cost-effective manner. That means a strong transportation network in Wisconsin; re-prioritizing our transportation investments. I challenged the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to look at new ways to
reconstruct our state's busiest interchange--the Zoo Interchange--which is used by 350,000 people a day. Our transportation leaders met the challenge and developed a plan that will start the project ahead of schedule and save the taxpayer's $600 million.
Source: 2011 Wisconsin State of the State Address
, Feb 1, 2011