U.S. wheat industry supports trade with Cuba

[Mika]

Source: Southeast Farm Press

The U.S. wheat industry is urging Congress and the Obama administration to immediately ease trade and travel restrictions with Cuba to allow U.S. wheat growers to compete fully in this market, according to U.S. Wheat Associates (USW).

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Cuba represents substantial potential for future sales of U.S. wheat with a population of more than 11 million that consumes close to 1 million metric tons (MMT) of wheat per year. Cuba is the largest importer of wheat and wheat products in the Caribbean.

Though proximity and historical ties should provide a competitive advantage for U.S. wheat, the U.S. holds a less than 50 percent market share in Cuba, compared to a more than 85 percent market share in other Caribbean areas.

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The U.S. wheat industry believes that the best way to help U.S. wheat growers fully realize sales potential in Cuba is to overturn the February 2005 change to financing requirements and to lift travel restrictions to allow for the freedom of reciprocal travel between the U.S. and Cuba for all citizens.

Read more: http://southeastfarmpress.com/grains/wheat-exports-0413/

[Captain Hilts]

1. I'm SHOCKED they want a bigger market for wheat!!! They also opposed grain embargo on USSR after

the invasion of Afghanistan.

[Arctic Dave]

2. Sounds like a great way to put Cuban farmers out of business.

How about we sell them farming equipment instead, then they could up their own food production.

[Mika]

3. Wheat doesn't grow well in the tropics.

If you read the story you'll see that Cuba already buys wheat from other countries. It is the farmers in these other countries who would suffer the lost sales.

[Arctic Dave]

4. I read that. I'm referring to expanding farming in general

so they can feed themselves better instead of relying on outside entities. More along the lines of teach a man to fish then giving him one scenerio.

[Dreamer Tatum]

7. Wheat farmers don't sell equipment, they sell wheat

And they want to sell it to Cuba. It's pretty straightforward.

[Arctic Dave]

8. Really? No kidding? And I'm talking about them feeding them self.

With tools sold to them. Sounds pretty straight forward.

[Dreamer Tatum]

9. I'm talking about the OP, not wringing hands over a country with rich agricultural heritage

They do pretty well growing sugar, tobacco, and fruit already. They get farming implements from everyone but us. The OP was about selling them American wheat, that's all.

[Arctic Dave]

10. I apologize for being short. I agree that Cuba does a great job

with what they have, I am always a little leary when we want into foriegn markets. I would much rather see all countries supply them self food to the best of their ability.

[madrchsod]

5. the wheat and corn goes down to new orleans and across the gulf to cuba

it is a lot cheaper for cuba to buy our wheat and corn

[dipsydoodle]

6. to compete fully in this market ?

Presumably that's so that the USA can create the same dire consquences for Cuba with wheat as they do for Haiti with rice which due to subsidies to US farmers sells at half the ecomonic price of locally grown rice there.

Just another instance of how the US just can't wait to strip Cuba blind.

edit - just noticed thread #3 in which case it will adversly affect their current suppliers.