Nixon & Missouri Farm Leaders Push for Cuba Trade

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and several Missouri farm organizations says the Us is in danger of “edged out” of increasing trade with Cuba.

In an opinion piece released Tuesday, Nixon and the farm leaders say it is time the United States end its decades-old trade embargo with Cuba.

“Lifting the embargo is important because current sanctions force American producers to market their products through a narrow and out-dated process that greatly limits their ability to sell goods to Cuban consumers,” according to the article.

In December, President Obama announced a easing of relations with Cuba for the first time since the Kennedy administration in the early 1960’s.

Missouri is one of several states that launched a Cuba trade project called, ‘United States Agriculture Coalition on Cuba’.

The op-ed was also signed by the state’s Director of Agriculture, Richard Fordyce; Blake Hurst, Missouri Farm Bureau; Gary Marshal of the Missouri Corn Association; Don Nikodim of the Missouri Pork Association; Mike Deering of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association; Gary Wheeler of the Missouri Soybean Association; Steve taylor, Missouri Agribusiness Association; Greg Yielding, Missouri Rice Association; john Bryan of the poultry Association; Dave Drennan of the Missouri Dairy Association.

Missouri will participate in a trade mission to Cuba next month.