American food industry firms up links with Cuba

American food companies expanded their foothold in Cuba's long forbidden market last week, advocating normal business ties with the communist-run island.

During last week's US food fair and exhibition, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, dined and chatted with US egg producers until 2:30 am after tasting cheese and wine, a chocolate shake and fries at Thursday's opening.

Dressed in a navy blue pin-striped suit instead of his customary military fatigues, Castro has hob-nobbed into the early hours every night of the five-day event with executives of capitalist food corporations, some with annual revenues larger than the economy of his one-party workers' state.

Hundreds of food and agriculture businessmen continued bargaining with Cuban officials for sales of grain, cereals, animal feed, meat and supermarket products.

Under a two-year-old easing of the trade embargo, Cuba has bought more than $140 million (€142.4m) in US food for cash and offers American producers the major share of its market if credit and travel restrictions are lifted.

US statesmen, Jesse Ventura, whose trips to Havana was opposed by the Bush administration, said it was time to take politics out of US-Cuban relations.

A former Navy SEAL who served in Vietnam, Ventura said 58,000 Americans of his generation died there and the United States now trades openly with that communist nation, so it made no sense not to do so with Cuba.While disagreeing with Castro on fundamental principles of government, the embargo had to be rethought, Ventura said.

"If the original reason for the embargo was to run President Castro out of office, after nine US presidents and 43 years, the policy has not worked,"​ the governor said.

"You'd think that after 43 years, you would try Plan B,"​ Ventura said from Havana. "After telling me not to go, the governor's state is the most represented at this fair,"​ he added, pointing to the interest shown by Florida farmers, shipping companies and ports in the Cuban market of 11 million people just 90 miles (145 km) away.

Two US food processors sponsoring the show, Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill landed $55 million worth of contracts by the second day.

"We have built a good bridge of trust,"​ said David Radlo, whose Watertown, Massachusetts, family-owned business signed a deal for the sale of 30 million eggs to Cuba on Thursday.

Among the industry giants promoting their products in Havana are Cargill, ConAgra Foods, Tyson Foods, and Del Monte Foods. Hurricane threats and shipping glitches left some participants out, among them Kellogg.

The US food industry has been the major force behind growing political support in the United States for dismantling the remaining sanctions on Cuba, including a ban on Americans tourists visiting the island.

President Bush, backed by anti-Castro Cuban exiles in Florida, a pivotal state in his 2000 election, has vowed to veto legislation that eases the embargo until Castro allows democratic reforms.