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Agriculture
and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks has announced $23 million in
trade deals between Alabama businesses and Cuba’s import company,
Alimport. The agreements are the results of the continuous trade
negotiations between Alabama suppliers and Cuban officials.
State
agricultural officials and business representatives made up Alabama’s
delegation who, along with four other states, participated in the 23rd
Havana International Fair that included products from over 100
countries. Alabama contracts included poultry and poultry products as
well as wooden utility poles.
"This
trade fair turned out to be a big success for Alabama’s farmers,"
said Commissioner Sparks. "Our poultry and timber industry have
done an especially remarkable job. The Department of Agriculture and
Industries will continue to help support all of our agricultural growers
and producers increase their exports to Cuba and around the world."
These
commodity contracts represent sales from Alabama companies. Most
all of Alabama’s poultry integrators send products to Cuba. Present at
this recent fair were representatives from Goldkist, PECO Foods, Sylvest
Farms, Pilgrims Pride and Wayne Farms. Utility poles are being sourced
from several southwest Alabama manufacturers. Northern Gulf Trading
Group, first time trade fair participants from Mobile, had contracts
signed for sales of wooden utility poles. Significant quantities of both
poles and poultry are shipped from the Alabama State Port Authority in
Mobile on a monthly basis.
The
United States is the only country to restrict exports to Cuba. In 2001,
the US federal government lifted the ban on sales of food and medicine.
Since then, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries has
worked tirelessly to increase the amount of Alabama products sold to the
island nation. Having less than two days shipping time from the Port of
Mobile, Alabama has greatly benefited from its prime location, our
quality products, and our open dialogue with Cuban buyers.
Last year
Alabama saw an economic impact from trade with Cuba of over 300 million
dollars. Poultry exports from Alabama have risen 328%, with an estimated
40% of all poultry sold to Cuba being sourced from Alabama.
Utility poles imported by Cuba over the last two years have almost
exclusively been sourced from Alabama. This year, due to
increasing restrictions imposed by the US federal government, which
makes exporting to Cuba somewhat more difficult, Alabama companies must
continue an aggressive sales profile to further expand sales to this
market of 11 million people.
The
Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries is also involved in
trade explorations in Europe, Canada, Central and South America, Asia,
the Caribbean, Africa and will focus on India for the upcoming year. |
