US pork producers urge opening of Cuban market

The National Pork Producers Council is asking congress to open Cuba as an export market, saying that the US is in a good position to increase its pork exports by as much as US$28 million.

Iowa State economist Dermot Hayes estimates that US pork exports would increase by $28.2 million once the travel and financing restrictions on Cuba are lifted. Over the past year, the US shipped about $13.4 million of pork to Cuba.

The policy change also would create about 6,000 additional jobs in the US, according to a study conducted by Texas A&M University, which also found that total US exports would increase by $365 million a year.

Sam Carney of Adair, president of the National Pork Producers Council, urged the US House of Representatives to take up a bill that would place pork under exemptions from the 1960 embargo against Cuba.

''Because of its proximity to Cuba - just 90 miles separate the countries - the US is in position to capture a large share of the Cuban pork import market,'' said Carney. ''For the US pork industry to remain successful and viable, we need new and expanded market access.”