First U.S. Wheat to Cuba in 40 Years
First U.S. Wheat Shipments to Cuba in 40 Years Prepared to Leave Today
By JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press Writer
GALVESTON, Texas (AP) -- Flowing from a snake-like spout, 30,000 metric tons of grain poured into the hull of a ship set to take it to a place American wheat hasn't gone in 40 years -- Cuba.
The ship, scheduled to leave the Port of Galveston on Wednesday, will not only deliver the first shipment of U.S. wheat to Cuba since the trade embargo was implemented against the island country in 1961, but also carry the economic hopes of farmers and lawmakers hoping to create a new market.
``The Cuban embargo is a highly charged and emotional issue for some,'' U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Beaumont, said Tuesday as he and other officials stood near the ship as wheat was loaded in it. ``But after visiting (the country) it's an ill-advised policy that hurts people. This is a historic first shipment. But we have a long way to go.''
The commercial shipment of wheat -- from Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma -- is a venture between Decatur, Ill.-based Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Kansas City, Mo.-based Farmland Industries Inc.
``This is a very exciting time for American agriculture,'' said Joe Royster, a member of the Archer Daniels/Farmland advisory board. ``American farmers can feed the world and end hunger in many developing countries.
The sale of the wheat was made possible by congressional action in 2000 that softened the embargo, allowing the sale of food to the Caribbean country but barring U.S. government financing of any such sales.
Cuban purchases of U.S. medical supplies have been legal since 1992.
The wheat aboard the 600-foot-long Turkish ship the M.V.H. Ismael Kaptanoglu was set to arrive in Havana by Saturday.
American agribusiness is hoping this first shipment will lead to many others and open up Cuba as a new market. The Caribbean country buys about 1.1 million tons of wheat each year, mostly from Europe, Canada and Argentina.
``Cuba represents a market of $700 million a year. Those are pretty big numbers for us,'' Lampson said.
Officials with Farmland would not disclose the sale price for the wheat but said it was worth $3.5 million on the open market.
Last month, the first direct commercial agricultural exports from the United States to Cuba since 1963 -- corn and chicken parts -- arrived on the island.
Trade between the countries was extremely heavy before the U.S. government imposed trade sanctions on Fidel Castro's government nearly 40 years ago.