Livestock producers in Cuba explore purchase of Iowa's ethanol byproducts

Livestock producers in Cuba explore purchase of Iowa's ethanol byproducts
By JERRY PERKINS
REGISTER FARM EDITOR

October 9, 2007

Iowans who visited Cuba on a trade mission said Cuban livestock
producers are still interested in buying and feeding to livestock
distillers dried grains, which are byproducts of the ethanol-making process.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said Monday that on his first
trip to Cuba last week he learned that Cubans are interested in
importing distillers dried grains, also known as DDGs, which are
produced after the starch is removed from the corn kernel to make ethanol.

Distillers dried grains are high in protein and have been touted as
livestock feed, primarily for multi-stomached animals like cattle that
can digest it better.

Some ethanol plants have had problems selling their DDGs because of a
wide variation in quality, transportation difficulties and a lack of
markets.

Northey said the Iowans on the trade mission talked with Cuban livestock
producers, primarily dairies, that have experimented with feeding
distillers dried grains.

"Their experience feeding DDGs has been very positive," Northey said.

Northey said Cuba's government purchased about 35 million bushels of
corn and about 100,000 tons of DDGs from the United States last year.

Craig Floss, chief executive officer of the Iowa Corn Growers
Association, said Cuban trade officials said Cuba will double its
purchases of the dried grains this year.

U.S. trade restrictions on Cuba, which have been in place since Fidel
Castro overthrew a pro-U.S. government and installed a Communist regime
there, require Cubans to pay cash for all their purchases of U.S. food
and agricultural products, Floss said.

Don Mason, director of grower services for the corn association, said
Cuba continues to have infrastructure problems that hamper unloading
distillers dried grains at ports and transporting them to livestock
producers.

Floss said the trade mission was part of a 10-year effort by the Iowa
Corn Growers Association to promote the sale of Iowa food and
agricultural products to Cuba.

From Nov. 5 to Nov. 10, Cuba will hold its 25th international food fair
in Havana, where U.S. exporters can market their goods.

The Iowans decided to go to Cuba the month before the food fair because
they wanted to have more access to Cuban government officials, which is
difficult during the fairs, Floss said.

Other Iowa companies might be attending the food fair next month, he said.

Farm Editor Jerry Perkins can be reached at (515) 284-8456 or
jperkins@dmreg.com

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