Cuba: Important visit of U.S. agricultural entrepreneurs

Cuba: Important visit of U.S. agricultural entrepreneurs
Fecha de publicación: 
5 March 2015
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A group of nearly 100 U.S. agricultural entrepreneurs arrived in Cuba to probe the market possibilities and send a message advocating for the end of the U.S. embargo against the island.
 
"We are here to learn about and better understand the Cuban agricultural industry," said Devry Boughner, president of the Agricultural Coalition called the United States for Cuba, who arrived to the island accompanied by two former American Ministers of Agriculture, Democrat Michael Espy and Republican John Block.
 
"We are also here to send a message (...), we are working to end the embargo," said Boughner.
 
Yesterday, the 96 entrepreneurs met with representatives of the Cuban government in Havana. On Tuesday, March 3, they will visit four provinces of the islands around Havana to get to know the agricultural sector.
 
"The Cubans are mostly looking for credit," said Michael Espy, Secretary of Agriculture from 1993 to 1994 under the administration of President Bill Clinton.
 
"We are working very hard to get a law that allows us to truly compete for the Cuban market," Boughner said.
 
The recent diplomatic thaw and change in approach to the embargo on Cuba promoted by the government of Barack Obama has also raised expectations in the US agricultural industry.
 
The Cuban agricultural sector has been highly inefficient for years. According to official estimates, the island, which imports much of its food, expects to spend almost 2.2 billion dollars in imports in that category in 2015.
 
"We are also here to talk about trade in both directions," said Boughner.
 
"We are here to sell grains or soybeans," seconded John Block, Secretary of Agriculture in the United States between 1981 and 1986 under the presidency of Ronald Reagan. "But we also want to help Cuba's agriculture find ways to work together."
 
The historic diplomatic rapprochement between Cuba and the United States has generated great expectations in both countries. Several American Democrats have visited the island in recent weeks, including representatives of states that have a strong agricultural production.
 
In Cuba, the population also hopes that the diplomatic thaw will result in improvements to their quality of life after decades of economic crisis.
 
As part of the relaxations announced in December, the Obama administration has implemented measures to ensure that US companies can sell products to Cuba more easily, especially in the telecommunications and agriculture sectors.
 
Only Congress, which is under Republican control, can lift the embargo. Much of the Conservative Party rejects the approach to Cuba and continues to advocate a tough policy on the island.
 
On December 17, 2014, Obama and his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, unexpectedly announced that the two countries would resume diplomatic relations after more than half a century of rupture.
 
The historic rapprochement between the two ideological enemies was news around the world. Both countries are currently negotiating to soon reopen their embassies in their respective capitals.

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