The visit of US agriculture secretary Mike Johanns, who arrived in India on Saturday, is also expected to give a fillip to these efforts.

The US government last week announced a 200 million US dollars budget for promoting its agricultural products exports in 2006 (US fiscal year).

Johanns announced the decision in Kansas city on November 15 before leaving for India.

"USDA supports efforts to reach out to consumers around the world to demonstrate the high quality and variety of American food products," Johanns said.

The US would be funding 67 trade organisations through which it has targeted to increase the country's agricultural exports to 68 billion dollars in 2006 against 62.5 billion dollars in the previous year, a USDA report said.

India, which imported US agricultural and food products worth Rs 1,5146 million in 2005-06 has been the focus of attention of many of the American trade promotion bodies.

During the first quarter of the current fiscal the import of these products to India from the US stood at Rs 4498.9 million.

The Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA), which has a consultant in New Delhi and has been promoting exports from 15 states (in US), would be receiving 8.26 million dollars from the 200 million dollar fund under US Market Access Programme.