Iowans part of trade trip selling goods to Cuba

Nearly five million dollars worth of Midwest corn and beans has been sold to the Cuban government, a deal struck by a man who was part of a delegation of Iowans who attended the “Food and Export Exposition” in Cuba this past week. A new wrinkle in the U-S trade embargo against Cuba allows for cash sales of U-S ag products to Cuba. Iowa Ag Secretary Patty Judge, who led the delegation, is hailing the deal.Judge says the grain sale “opens a door” with Cuba that won’t be closed again.The Bush Administration and Cuban American groups have criticized the Iowans and other Americans who went to Cuba, but Tom Rial of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, a member of the delegation, says trade with Cuba would not “prop up the Castro regime” as critics allege.Secretary Judge says most of the Iowans got back to Iowa early Wednesday morning.Judge says Fidel Castro invited the Iowa delegation to his home on Friday night for dinner. An Iowa Department of Economic Development official predicts the Wells Blue Bunny representative on the Cuban trip probably laid enough groundwork so that the Le Mars-based company will be shipping ice cream to Cuba within a year. Businesses and officials from six other U-S states were represented at the Cuban exposition.