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Editorial:
Cuban trip opens market to Montanans
Billings
Gazette, MT. September
19, 2003.
Sept. 14 ought to rank as a historic day for
Montana agribusiness -- the day that Montana farmers,
a cattle rancher, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus and U.S.
Rep. Denny Rehberg met with Fidel Castro.
Baucus discussed human rights concerns with the
Cuban dictator. Molt area rancher David Kelsey
discussed the excellent quality of Montana cattle
genetics and the potential for semen sales to
Cuba.
Talking with Castro
Those two topics, part of a 10 p.m. till 2:30
a.m. meeting in Castro's Havana offices illustrate
the promise and the challenge of this amazing
trade trip. Nobody in the Montana group endorses
Castro's regime. But everybody recognizes the
mutual benefit of agriculture trade for Montana
producers and the Cuban people.
While in Havana, Baucus and Rehberg signed a
memorandum of understanding that may lead to sales
of $10 million (U.S.) worth of Montana cattle,
wheat, barley and beans to Cuba. Details have
yet to be worked out, but there is hope that this
may be just the first step in an expanding market
for Montana. There are, however, complexities
in trading with Cuba while a U.S. embargo makes
only limited exceptions for food and medicine
and requires cash transactions. Baucus and Rehberg
are helping Montanans surmount those legal complexities.
Selling Montana commodities to Cuba opens new
up new opportunities for our state's biggest cash
industry. Kudos to the forward-thinking Montanans,
especially Baucus and Rehberg, for taking this
trip to a potential new market for our state's
products.
Kelsey, who raises black angus beef, said Thursday
he's optimistic that live Montana cattle can be
sold to Cuba within the next 12 months.
"This is a completely new market, as yet
untapped by Montana" Kelsey said. "Any
sales to Cuba are sales we don't have now. This
$10 million is just opening the door. They are
anxious to open up continuing trade."
Cuban officials, including the nation's top trade
official, were friendly and enthusiastic in their
dealings with the Montanans, Baucus said.
Travel roster
Montanans traveling to Cuba last week with Denny
Rehberg and Max Baucus included Herb Karst of
the Montana Grain Growers; Brooks Dailey of Montana
Farmers Union; Rich Owen, a wheat farmer; David
Kelsey, Molt rancher; Ervin Schlemmer, Billings
area sugar beet grower; Mike Overstreet of Corporate
Air in Billings; and Taylor Brown, Billings agriculture
broadcaster.
"They very much want to follow up on trade,"
he said.
Baucus plans weekly conference calls with the
Montana producer group to follow up on the trade
opportunities opened last weekend.
And he predicted that the Cuban trip won't be
his last foreign sales call for Montana. "It
is imperative today to get out and talk to people
... to make these commercial agreements,"
Baucus said.
Baucus, who organized the trip, said "it
was helpful to have Denny along."
Cuba plans to import 100,000 cattle this year
and has imported "a minuscule" amount
so far, Rehberg told the Associated Press, pointing
out that should leave plenty of opportunity to
sell Montana cattle. Rehberg, who had previously
visited Cuba, reported that Cuban officials also
expressed interest in buying organic foods from
Montana.
"This is a landmark event, where we can
take our products and deliver them and have them
pay cash for them," said Brooks Dailey, one
of the grain producers on the trip.
A beginning
We commend Baucus for organizing this trip. We
commend Baucus and Rehberg for their commitment
to Montana's economic development and their stands
in Congress for lifting U.S. bans on trade and
travel to the island nation. (President Bush has
promised to veto legislation that would ease travel
or embargo restrictions.)
Greater exchanges between Cuban and American
people, in trade and in travel, are likely to
lead the Cuban people away from generations of
dictatorship and toward democracy.
This is the first Montana-Cuba trade agreement.
Let us hope it will be the beginning of a positive
business relationship that benefits the people
of Montana and the people of Cuba.
Copyright © The Billings
Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.
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