By David Mitchell
(April 28, 3:45 p.m.) Jim Allen and two New York apple growers made an
unofficial trade visit to Cuba back in 2002. Six years later, the Empire
State still isn't shipping apples to the island nation.
That soon could change.
Allen, president of the New York Apple Association, Fishers, was part of
a 20-member trade delegation that visited Cuba on April 21-23 for the
state's first official trade mission there.
"I'm cautiously optimistic that something could happen this season,"
said Allen, who added that storage supplies have been tight. Harvest of
the new crop is expected to start the second week of August. "I'm more
optimistic something could happen next season, should we decide to take it."
The U.S. exported 1,612 metric tons of fresh produce to Cuba in 2006,
valued at $1.1 million. Apples were by far the largest fresh produce
export, representing 1,486 metric tons worth $887,000, according to the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service.
Cuban officials told Allen they receive about five containers a month of
imported apples. Allen said he saw red delicious and golden delicious
from Virginia during the three-day trip. Much of the fresh produce
imported to the country goes to hotels and the tourist trade, such as
high-end restaurants, he said.
"We visited three grocery stores, and there wasn't an ounce of fresh
produce in any of them," Allen said. "There were some open-air markets
that had fruit, but I didn't see any vegetables."
New York representatives met with Cuba's minister of foreign relations,
the foreign trade minister and the head of Alimport, the government
agency that negotiates and signs contracts with U.S. exporters.
"We had one-on-one, sit-down meetings with very important people," Allen
said. "It was very productive and gave us an opportunity to present what
New York can do from apples, to wine, to vegetables and dairy products."
The U.S. imposed a trade embargo on Cuba in 1962. Trade limitations were
eased somewhat in 2000, when the U.S. began allowing the country to buy
food and medicine from American exporters.
"Cuba does want the U.S. to lift the embargo," Allen said. "That was a
message they gave us at every meeting. They can buy food from us, but
they can't send product here. If they could ship cigars here, they could
buy more from produce from us."
New York Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker led the trade
delegation to Cuba. In addition to Allen, apple growers also were
represented by:
* Chuck Andola, chief operating officer of United Apple Sales LLC,
New Paltz, N.Y.; and
* John Cushing, sales manager of New York Apples Sales Inc.,
Castelson, N.Y.
Vegetable grower-shippers involved were:
* Bob Martens of Martens Farms, Port Byron, N.Y.;
* David Martin, president of Martin & Sons Farms Inc., Brockport, N.Y.;
* Tony Piedimonte, vice president of James Piedimonte & Sons,
Holley, N.Y.;, and
* Craig Yunker, partner in CY Farms LLC, Elba, N.Y.
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