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Cuba = opportunity

A first time trip to Cuba has one Ohio farmer seeing opportunity.

John Linder of Morrow County says that while the U.S. has been selling corn to Cuba for quite some time there’s the need for normalized trade relations.

“This is a Congressional decision,” Linder said. “So we need to help Congress be well informed to why this important to the U.S. and help them to understand that the people of Cuba want this as much as we do.”

Linder, who serves as chair of the National Corn Growers Association’s Trade Policy and Biotech Action Team says after being there, and meeting with Cuban officials, lifting the embargo is long overdue.

“You won’t see Cuban products on the shelf until we get the embargo lifted, that’s the only way we can get that trade to be normalized so that we boost their economy,” said Linder. “We have a great opportunity to improve the Cuban quality of life and this is what we need to capitalize on.”

The Ohio corn, soybean and wheat farmer says that with normalized trade the U.S., overnight, could see a fourfold increase in the amount of corn from the Midwest going to Cuba.

Audio: John Linder, farmer, Morrow County Ohio