A delegation of US officials is in Havana to assess potential investment opportunities in the agricultural sector.
It is a group of thirteen American representatives, headed by Ted McKinneyExecutive Director of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).
The objective is to explore opportunities for agricultural cooperation between the United States and Cuba. From February 18 to 22, the commission’s main goal is to address potential trade barriers faced by American agricultural products and to optimize the political dynamics governing bilateral trade.
NASDAQis a non-profit organization representing the agricultural authorities of fifty states and four US territories.
He will report at a press conference this Wednesday Grand Aston Hotel in HavanaThe strategic meeting will present the results of these negotiations with the Cuban regime and the various opportunities for expanding agricultural trade between the two nations.
Michael SkuseDelaware’s Secretary of Agriculture expressed the need to resume a normal course in agricultural trade relations from 2023, predicting mutual benefits resulting from the sale of products such as grains and beans to Cuba, and imports of Cuban tropical and organic fruits. For the US market.
Statistical data from the Cuban regime indicate that food imports from the United States have grown significantly in recent years.
The talks between the governments come at a time when Cuba’s agricultural production is in sharp decline and food shortages are affecting the island’s population. Food scarcity has become a major problem for the government of Miguel Diaz-Canel.
Economic Analyst Pedro Monreal warned about the trend late last year Decrease in agricultural production Cubans are marked by alarming shortages of essential foods such as rice, corn and vegetables.
According to Monreal, the only recorded increase concerns the bean sector, which is 20.04% more than the previous year, although it represents barely 54% of the product produced in 2019.
While some items such as taro and onion showed a modest increase, the supply of food for mass consumption fell sharply, over 16% and profoundly. Crisis in pig production – down practically 90% since 2018 – highlights the seriousness of the situation.
Amidst this productive crisis, export activity has increased from countries such as Spain, becoming the main supplier of pork to Cuba. Another meat product that Cuba imports is chicken, but in that case it does so mostly from the United States.
