The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on potential trade opportunities with Cuba and several major ag groups, including the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba, weighed in on the possibilities. The National Association of Wheat Growers supports the elimination of trade barriers with Cuba, which represents a potentially large export market for wheat. Current financing restrictions don’t permit Cuba to buy on credit, but instead require cash up front, and the Wheat Growers say that puts them at a competitive disadvantage to other countries in the Cuban market. The American Farm Bureau has long pushed for trade with our neighbors 90 miles to the south. The Farm Bureau said, “Real opportunities of increased sales exist in Cuba for American agricultural products because of demand driven by a population of 11 million people. There’s no better time to provide American farmers and ranchers with the tools they need to expand exports and survive a difficult economic time.”
