MIAMI, United States.- An expanded delegation of American farmers will visit Cuba next October, after several representatives of producers and fisheries from the state of Maine visited the island at the invitation of the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG) in early May.
According to a note from the American media National Fisherman“representatives of Maine fish, apples, seeds, and vegetable seeds” traveled “to explore export opportunities in Cuba.”
Delegates “met with buyers and officials from the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG) to develop a supply chain for agricultural products,” which would be shipped from Maine to Cuba.
Doyle Marchant, president of Cedar Spring Agricultural Co., convened the farmers at the direct invitation of MINAG. “It was important for Maine growers to act on this unique invitation for Maine to build a reliable source of produce and begin a normalization of relations between the two countries,” he said.
“The main currency in Cuba is not money, but to generate trust that can benefit both Maine and Cuba,” added the businessman.
In the conversations between the American and Cuban producers, there was talk of connecting key agricultural industries in Maine, such as fishing, with the island. Delegates from Maine proposed introducing a new species of fish to Cuba: the Cape Shark, known in Spanish as the Meergal Shark, which provides a tasty source of protein. Other types of frozen fish would also be exported.
Marchant assured National Fisherman that “the fishing part of the delegation was formed to present the spiny dogfish as a high-protein, low-cost fish for Cuba. Development of this species for export expands the fishery for Maine coastal fishermen, processors, and cold storage facilities. Spiny dogfish can be exported in processed loins or as minimally processed whole fish to provide food and allow the processing of by-products in Cuba into fertilizer for crops.”
Likewise, the article reads, during the meeting, vegetable seeds and potato seeds were presented to MINAG officials to help Cuba develop a more self-sufficient agricultural system. It was further proposed to supply the island with apples from Maine.
“Our mission to reinvigorate ties between Maine and Cuba through agricultural and fishery exports,” Marchant said, “is one that will benefit Maine growers and the people of Cuba.”
The expanded delegation, which will include representatives from the forest products and livestock medical products industries, plans to return on October 8 to resume negotiations.
Receive information from CubaNet on your cell phone through WhatsApp. Send us a message with the word “CUBA” on the phone +1 (786) 316-2072, You can also subscribe to our electronic newsletter by giving click here.
