Iowa Corn Growers see potential in Cuban market

Iowa Corn Growers see potential in Cuban market
Monday, October 8, 2007, 1:05 PM

by Peter Shinn

A delegation of Iowa corn growers led by Agriculture Secretary Bill
Northey traveled to Cuba last week to promote Iowa corn and dry
distillers' grains (DDG). During a teleconference Monday to discuss the
trade mission, Northey and corn growers who made the trip said Cuban
officials want to buy more U.S. agricultural goods and strongly desire a
more normal diplomatic relationship with the U.S.

Northey said the Cuban government plans to import around 35 million
bushels of corn this year, somewhat less than a million metric tons, and
wants to increase its DDG imports. But Northey pointed out current U.S.
restrictions on travel to and trade with Cuba are limiting that market's
growth potential.

"If things would change, I think there would be a dramatic opportunity
for them to increase," Northey told Brownfield. "They really do want to
increase their livestock production, certainly their dairy production."

Craig Floss, CEO of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, agreed with
Northey's assessment. And according to Floss, unless U.S. travel and
trade restrictions are eased, Cuba simply won't have the money to buy
more U.S. agricultural goods.

"Unless the tourist trade somehow begins to grow or they were allowed to
export to a greater degree some of their key products," Floss explained,
"then there probably is not going to be that much more cash for them to
grow significantly."

Floss said last week's trip to Cuba is just the most recent of several
made by Iowa Corn Growers dating all the way back to 1998. In November,
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman will lead his second trade mission to
Cuba in little more than six months.

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