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SC Farm Bureau Leader Returns From Cuban Trade Mission South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation President David Winkles has just returned from a meeting with Cuban President Fidel Castro and other Cuban trade officials to discuss future trade opportunities between American farmers and Cuba. Winkles said, “Cuban officials are particularly interested in importing wheat and chicken, two commodities we produce here in South Carolina. One hurdle is that when orders are placed by Cuban entities, they usually come in quantities too small to export conveniently and cost effectively.” Winkles was a member of an six member American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) delegation during a week-long trade mission to Cuba Nov. 18. One issue the delegation will work on is to convince the Bush administration and the next congress to open a line of credit for Cuban trade. AFBF President Bob Stallman said, “We believe that private entities should have the opportunity to provide financing if they so choose.” Winkles agrees, “Cuban agricultural imports of US commodities have grown from zero to $250 million in just a year. Trade officials there anticipate that number will grow to $1 billion by 2005, even with current trade and travel restrictions in place. Just imagine what US farmers could make if the cash-only trade restrictions were lifted.” “Cuba has one of the most depressed economies I have seen in all my travels around the world. Poverty certainly seems to be a way of life down there. It’s obvious that there is definitely a need for food in Cuba,” Winkles said. The SCFB President has met several times in the past with Pedro Alvarez, the head of Cuba’s food buying agency Alimport. Alvarez said that Cuba has, so far, contracted with 1,000 American firms in at least 33 states. He said he expects the United States will supply 60 percent of Cuba’s food imports in the near future. But with that growth comes a need for US farmers to exercise extreme caution and look for great assurances that business deals will be made-good by Cuban businesses. According to Winkles, “It would be a disservice to our South Carolina farmers, who are already cash-strapped, to encourage them to enter contracts that are too risky and could leave them empty handed.” “President Castro seems to have a plan for the future of his country’s economic growth,” Winkles said. “He told us that future plans there call for importing any agricultural goods that they cannot produce cheaper than they can buy it from foreign suppliers.” This, too, could open doors of opportunity for American farmers.
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