WASHINGTON - WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to review U.S. agricultural sales to Cuba.

Located only 90 miles from the United States, Cuba relies on imports for most of its food needs, but current U.S. policies hinder American agricultural producers who want to sell their products in Cuba.

“The restrictions on agricultural trade with Cuba have failed to achieve their stated goal, and instead they have hand-delivered an export market in our own backyard to the Brazilians, the Europeans, and our other competitors around the world,” Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson said. “It’s time we ask ourselves why we have in place policies that simply do not work and that only harm U.S. interests.”

In February, Chairman Peterson introduced the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act (H.R. 4645) to facilitate expanded U.S. agricultural trade with Cuba. This bipartisan bill is co-sponsored by more than 35 other Members of Congress, including Representatives Jerry Moran of Kansas, Rosa L. DeLauro of Connecticut, and Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri.

Written testimony provided by the witnesses is available on the Committee website: http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html. A full transcript of the hearing will be posted on the Committee website at a later date.

Panel I:
• Mr. Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, Washington, D.C.
• Mr. Roger Johnson, President, National Farmers Union, Washington, D.C.

Panel II:
• Mr. Mike Wagner, Rice Producer and Owner/Operator of Twobrooks Farm, on behalf of US Rice Producers Association and USA Rice Federation, Sumner, Mississippi
• Mr. Jerry McReynolds, Wheat Producer and President, National Association of Wheat Growers, Woodston, Kansas
• Mr. John Wilson, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Industry Affairs, Dairy Farmers of America, on behalf of National Milk Producers Federation, Kansas City, Missouri
• Mr. Barton Schott, Corn Producer and First Vice President, National Corn Growers Association, Kulm, North Dakota
• Mr. Scott Fritz, Soybean Producer and Board Member, American Soybean Association, Winamac, Indiana

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