VIOLA: U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos and Rodney Davis are in Cuba Oct. 11-14 working to tap into the market, which area Illinois agriculture leaders have been trying to get back into for a long time. Between 2008 and 2014 Illinois agriculture exports with Cuba dropped 63 percent from $66 million down to $24 million.
Bustos and Davis said they hope they can establish new developments and export opportunities for Illinois farmers while they’re in Cuba. Mercer County farmer, Chad Bell said he hopes this will strengthen Illinois’ relationship with Cuba.
“Anything that we can do to increase export markets or market share is very important as a farmer,” Bell said. “I’m hoping that Rod [Davis] and Cheri [Bustos] can get some things hashed out with Cuba and open up some more trade for the crops that I’m producing.”
With Cuba being a country that doesn’t produce a lot of their own food, Bell says this is a great opportunity for farmers like him.
“This will will impact me as a farmer by opening up new export markets to Cuba and increasing the demand for Illinois corn and soybeans which means a lot to my bottom line,” Bell said.
By increasing agriculture exports, in turn, would lower the transportation costs on them.
“Getting my corn and soybeans to other countries is important for my bottom line,” Bell said.
With Illinois sitting along the Mississippi River, which meets the Gulf of Mexico, Farm Bureau District 3 Director, Wayne Anderson says it’s a natural and beneficial market to get tapped into.
“I think its important especially with the Mississippi River that we have here and the transportation to get our products to Cuba, it’s a very valuable market that we could access,” Anderson said.
Bell said he is confident in what Bustos and Davis are doing.
“Both Rod [Davis] and Cheri [Bustos] have a good track record with Illinois Farm Bureau and voting on our side for ag issues and I think they are the two people that we need promoting Illinois agriculture for representing the farmers,” Bell said.
Bell said he’s excited for Bustos and Davis to come back to Illinois on Wednesday and share what they learned. Bustos said she plans to share updates from her trip with farmers in the district.
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