ADDIS ABEBA(July 18,2008) - Former US President Bill Clinton is scheduled to arrive in Addis Ababa on July 28, 2008, AP reported on Thursday.

The AP report said Bill Clinton will be accompanied by a former Iowa governor on a trip to gather information related to food production in Africa.

The former President heads a foundation that does extensive work throughout Africa, including Ethiopia, and the former governor Vilsak advises the Iowa State University in its efforts to improve food production in Africa.

The duo's Ethiopia visit forms part of a tour to Africa where they will visit Africa tour Rwanda, Senegal and Liberia, the report published on AP’s website indicated.

According to the report, Vilsak, in an interview with the news agency on Tuesday, said the invitation to take the trip grew out of the early endorsement he and his wife gave to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Vilsack endorsed Clinton soon after he dropped his bid for the nomination.

Vilsack campaigned extensively for Clinton, often accompanied by her husband.

"This will give me a chance to meet with leaders and make sure they know what's going on at Iowa State," Vilsack was quoted as saying during the said interview with AP.

"My hope is that I can come back with information that would allow me to better counsel and advise the university on its efforts. Hopefully, we'll be able to expand the reach of Iowa State."

The report noted Vilsack said the effort is part of a long-term project to modernize food production throughout Africa, where many crude production techniques are still used.

"Iowa State has developed a very extensive, comprehensive approach to this," Vilsack said. "It is a very rudimentary system in Africa."

Upgrading farming procedures could allow countries in Africa to take advantage of modern breakthroughs, such as genetically enhanced seeds that could dramatically increase food production, Vilsack said.

The trip will be Vilsack's second to Africa.

He previously accompanied former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young, the report added.