(NAFB) – Also, testifying before the House Committee on Agriculture concerning Cuban trade and travel issues were representatives of the National Farmers Union and American Soybean Association. Leaders from both organizations voiced support for the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act.NFU President Roger Johnson testified, saying – even though U.S. firms offer reliable trading partners, quality products and competitive prices, current U.S. policy hampers their ability to supply the Cuban market. He said – I can speak from firsthand experience on the importance of ending the Cuban embargo and establishing trade relations with Cuba in an effort to better the U.S. agriculture market.
ASA Board member Scott Fritz, a soybean producer from Winamac, Indiana, said – we can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch our competitors continue to supply a market where we have a natural advantage. Fritz added – if the travel ban is eliminated, the number of U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba annually would increase to between 500-thousand and 1 million. This growth in travel would bring in more hard currency, enabling the Cuban state-trading agency to buy more U.S. agricultural products.
