Evnen and deputy greeted at Nebraska City Rotary Club meeting

NEBRASKA CITY – When Secretary of State Robert Evnen considers the need for corn in Kenya and irrigation systems in Egypt, it’s clear to him that Nebraska can make key impacts for global solutions.

He is organizing trade missions to both countries this fall and offering Nebraska businesses, the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, makers of central pivot irrigation, the Nebraska Corn Board and even the inventor of the flat iron steak an inroad to East Africa and the Middle East.

 

Kenya President William Ruto visited Nebraska before he was elected and Evnen said he values Nebraska agriculture products.

Evnen: “They would like corn from Nebraska. The president told me he didn’t want corn from the United States, he wants corn from Nebraska specifically.”

Evnen notes Kenya’s youthful population, a shortage of drivers in the United States with commercial driver’s licenses and Nebraska companies with expertise in training drivers.

 

 

Evnen: “They like the fact that young Kenyans are hard workers, they’re reliable and they’re smart.”

He expects trade mission talks to include a program to train drivers in Kenya and bring them to the United States.  He stressed that the program would comply with federal law.

Evnen: “We’re not going to have any illegal immigrants coming in through this program. I wouldn’t be associated with it. All the immigration that occurs here, when we bring these young drivers to the United States, is in accordance with the laws of the United States and particularly the immigration laws of the United States.”

He said a Nebraska company is already involved in helping Egyptian farmers with irrigation systems linked to dessert aquifers and Egypt's  hospitality industry recognizes efforts to brand Nebraska beef.

 

Evnen said people will see menus in Egypt that say beef from Nebraska and the trade mission will promote the preference.

Evnen: “It has the lovely aspect of happening to be true. The beef that is grown in Nebraska and processed in Nebraska is the finest beef you’ll find anywhere in the four corners of the Earth and we’re spreading that good word.”

Evnen said he does not expect tariffs to be a primary topic during the trip, but he is willing to listen to whatever concerns the host nations have.