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(Lincoln, NE) Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy will lead a trade mission to Cuba next week, April 17 to 20 on behalf of Gov. Dave Heineman and Nebraska’s agricultural industry.
“We have had excellent feedback from interested Nebraska companies and producers since this trade mission was announced,” Gov. Heineman said. “We also have had positive discussions with Alimport officials in recent weeks, and I am very hopeful that this trip will be another success for our producers. I’m encouraged to see such strong interest in this visit, and I know this delegation will be in excellent hands.”
The Lt. Governor will be joined by 30 delegates and will lead meetings scheduled with Cuban import authority Chairman and CEO Pedro Alvarez. The delegation is also expected to meet with leaders of Cuba’s Ministries of Foreign Trade and Foreign Affairs.
Lt. Gov. Sheehy said, “I’m very pleased to have this opportunity to represent our state and Nebraska’s producers on this visit. The Cuban market has proven to be a fertile one for several of our ag products and I am hopeful that this visit will yield similar results.”
Some of the participants will be exploring export opportunities for the first time while others hope to build on their presence in the Cuban market. Representatives of Nebraska’s pork, poultry and dairy industries are among those pursuing new opportunities in Cuba.
With a total of 31 representatives, this is the largest Nebraska delegation to travel to Cuba, which includes representatives of local producers, Nebraska co-ops and companies, commodity groups, state and local media, and Nebraska Department of Agriculture staff.
Gov. Heineman said, “In some cases, participants in earlier trips have scheduled delivery of food products for future dates to meet supply needs. U.S. trade restrictions dictate that goods be paid for in advance, and the fact that we have been able to arrange for future delivery of goods is an indication of the trust and confidence Nebraska has gained with Cuban officials as a reliable supplier of quality agricultural products.”
This will be Nebraska’s third trade mission to Cuba. Since the Governor’s first visit in August 2005, $27 million in contracts have been executed for ag products including corn, wheat and soybeans. An agreement for an additional $5 million in Nebraska beef was reached in November, in addition to an agreement worth $30 million for U.S. soybean producers.
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