USACC Visit Cuban Agricultural Cooperative

Shortly after the opening ceremony, Johnson and Mark Albertson, director of Strategic Market Development for the Illinois Soybean Association, told reporters they were opposed to the blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba.

They expressed their will to continue working for the US government to put an end to this restrictive measure, and achieve better relations in agriculture and trade.

Goodwill remains among US citizens who work in the agriculture sector to lift the blockade, as it has been proven in the last 60 years that it is thoroughly ineffective, as Cuba is really a pivotal market for the United States, Johnson said.

Mark Albertson, meanwhile, referred to the possibility of exporting soybean and chicken from the United States to Cuba, and advocated two-way trade, in which the US could import, for example, tropical fruits and shrimps from the island.

Regarding a question from Prensa Latina about the fact that both countries are natural markets due to their proximity, Johnson stated that by virtue of this geographical proximity ‘we can export products to Cuba very quickly, which reduces costs and improves the quality of goods.’

We have to champion trade that allows us to exchange and import products from Cuba, and also capitalize on this logistic advantage for a greater trade, he noted.

At the opening ceremony of the meeting, the Director of International Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG), Moraima Céspedes, stressed how significant this exchange of experiences is for participants. (Prensa Latina)