Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will travel to Japan and South Korea May 11-May 15 to participate in the G20 agriculture ministers’ meeting and engage with his counterparts on important issues facing agriculture around the world.

The secretary will also deliver a keynote address at the G20 Innovation & Agriculture seminar on May 11 and will speak at Cotton Council International’s annual Cotton Day on May 14 to promote U.S. cotton to industry partners all along the textile supply chain.

On Saturday, Perdue is scheduled to meet with Takamori Yoshikawa, Japan’s minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Perdue also plans to join his counterparts from Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Mexico for a luncheon to discuss coordination and cooperation on global agricultural issues.

When Perdue speaks at the G20 seminar on May 11, he will highlight the need for innovation in the agriculture sector to increase production and feed the world. He’s also scheduled to participate in the G20 and attend a breakout session titled "Fostering Innovative Human Resources & New Technologies."

On Sunday, as part of the meeting, Perdue plans to visit the Northern Cultural Museum and Komehachi Rice Farm with G20 heads of delegation.

Perdue plans to meet with U.S. Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty and Japan’s State Minister of Health, Labor & Welfare Yoshinori Oguchi on Wednesday and will attend a U.S. Meat Export Federation promotional event to underscore the importance of the Japanese market for U.S. meat. Japan is the top overseas market for U.S. beef and pork and also lifted a nearly 15-year ban on U.S. goat and sheep meat imports in 2018.

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Perdue and Hagerty will attend the U.S.-Japan Agriculture Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to recognize six prominent Japanese food industry members who have made significant contributions to expanding U.S. agricultural exports to Japan.

On Tuesday, Perdue plans to meet with Harry Harris, U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Korea. The next day, Perdue is scheduled to meet with Korea's Minister of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs Gae Ho Lee and Minister of Food & Drug Safety Eui Kyung Lee.

He’s scheduled to speak with Seoul National University students to engage future leaders in agriculture and participate in a discussion on innovative agricultural technology.

Perdue will also attend a reception hosted by Harris to recognize partners in the U.S.-Korea agricultural relationship.