Cuba Buys North Dakota Pulses

FARGO - Feb 21/08 - SNS -- The Cuban government bought around 12,000 metric tons (MT) of pulses worth around $7.5 million, reports North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson from a trade mission to the Caribbean nation.

Johnson said negotiations on Cuban purchases of North Dakota potatoes is being held up by U.S. approval of phytosanitary protocols, the official rules for preventing the introduction and or spread of quarantine pests and diseases.

"I was assured that the final copy of U.S. phytosanitary protocols for table potatoes had been sent to Cuba several weeks ago," he said. "We got down here and learned that neither the Cubans nor our own government representatives in Havana have seen them yet."

Johnson said the protocols for both potato table stock and seed stock must be signed by both countries before North Dakota potatoes can be sent to Cuba.

"Every time I have been here, I have been asked about potatoes, especially seed potatoes," he said. "It is obvious that Cuba is a strong, potential market for our potatoes, and it is imperative that our government complete this paperwork, so we can start shipping them."

Johnson said the delegation is now negotiating on the sale of other commodities, specifically dry distillers grains (DDGs) and beans.

"Cuba is definitely in the market for DDGs – we saw them being used for feed on dairy operations – and we are working to supply them," he said. "With North Dakota projected to triple its ethanol production over the next couple of years, we should have plenty of this co-product for sale."

Johnson, who has led seven trade missions to Cuba, said the announcement of Cuban President Fidel Castro that he will step down from office has had no impact on the trade mission.

"People here have been very accepting of it and recognize that it was coming," he said. "They are expecting a smooth transfer of power."

The delegation met with leading government officials, including Minister of Foreign Trade Raúl de la Nuez Ramirez; Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, director of the North America Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Alejandro Mustelier Zamora, vice president of Alimport, Cuba’s principal food import agency.

In addition to dairy operations, the group also visited potato, corn and bean farms.

Other members of the North Dakota delegation are Randy Schneider, Bismarck, North Dakota Ethanol Producers Association; Alan Juliuson, Hope, Northarvest Bean Growers Association; Darren Kadlec, Pisek, Kadlec Farms; Mark and Kristin Kok, Plaza, Great Northern Agriculture; Eric Bartsch, Bismarck, United Pulse Trading; Ken Bertsch, Fargo, State Seed Department; Brian Baglien, East Grand Forks, Tobiasson Potato Co.; Jessica Kolden, Garrison, JM Grain; Bart Schott, Kulm, North Dakota Corn Utilization Council, and Stephanie Sinner, North Dakota Department of Agriculture.