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Commissioner Staples will make historic trip to CubaCommissioner will lead delegation that is building agricultural trading relationships Texas On May 27, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples will become the first statewide elected official from Texas to visit Cuba on official state business in more than 45 years. The commissioner is leading a delegation of 24 Texans, including farmers, ranchers, commodity suppliers and port representatives. "This is a great opportunity to build long-lasting trade relationships with Cuba," Commissioner Staples said. "We want Texas producers to have access to this growing market and for Cubans to have the chance to enjoy the best agricultural products the world offers: Texas food and fiber." Commissioner Staples and the delegation will be in Cuba from May 27 to 31 and will meet with Cuban government officials who procure agricultural products. The group will also visit three Cuban farms to identify food needs not met by domestic production. The mission is to expand Texas export opportunities to Cuba. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas has exported well over $100 million in agricultural products to Cuba since 2000 when Congress partially lifted the trade embargo against the island nation. Both countries would like to see that increase dramatically. "It is only 900 miles between Houston and Havana but, for several decades, it might well have been a million miles," Commissioner Staples said. "This is a great occasion for two nations to work together to improve relations and what better way to do that than through food." Since 1961, when President John F. Kennedy imposed a trade embargo on the Caribbean country, U.S. and Cuba trade has been non-existent, until recently. In October 2000, Congress passed the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act, allowing the sale of agricultural and medical products to Cuba. Texas Department of Agriculture Cuba Delegation includes: Ernest Bezdek, Port of Beaumont; Louis Broussard, U.S. Rice Producers Association (Beaumont Rice Mill); John Chumbley, Texas Farm Bureau (Dorchester Grain, Howell, Texas); Rosalee King Coleman, Independent Cattlemen's Association of Texas; Kenneth Dierschke, Texas Farm Bureau; Cary Dupuy, Texas Department of Agriculture; Dale Grounds, Paul Reinhart Inc.; Gus Glen Jones, Jr., Texas Farm Bureau; Samuel Brian McCuistion, Texas Sorghum Producers (Planters Coop, Odom, Texas); Gary McGehee, Texas Farm Bureau; Raymond Meyer, Texas Farm Bureau; Mary Theresa Ovalle, Texas Department of Agriculture; Michael David Perez, Port of Corpus Christi; Stephen Pringle, Texas Farm Bureau; Karen Provost, Wimberly Lavender Farm; C. Parr Rosson, TAMU; Dan Shelton, Texas Farm Bureau; Todd Staples, Texas Department of Agriculture; Kelley Stripling, Texas Department of Agriculture; Cynthia Thomas, TriDimension Strategies, LLC; Michelle Tubilla, Moose Milk; Frank Walker, Walker Ltd.; Patrick Wallesen, WestStar Food Co.; Michael Edward Wilson, Port of Freeport. 5/26/08 Date: 5/22/08
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