Cubadebate

House Congressional Testimony

September 4, 2003 Thursday

SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY

LENGTH: 659 words

COMMITTEE: SENATE FINANCE

HEADLINE: U.S. CUBA ECONOMIC RELATIONS

TESTIMONY-BY: RICHARD OWEN, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCER

AFFILIATION: GERALDINE, MT

BODY:
Statement of Richard Owen Agricultural Producer, Geraldine, MT

Committee on Senate Finance

September 4, 2003

Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee:

I appreciate the opportunity to speak today on a trade issue affecting not
only farmers in Montana, but across the United States.

My name is Richard Owen and I am from Geraldine Montana where I produce
wheat and barley. I am a member of a local cooperative, Montana Farmers
Union, Montana Grain Growers Association and a director of a regional
cooperative that is owned by 325,000 farmers in 28 states from the Great
Lakes to the Pacific and from the Canadian border to Texas and is the third
largest United States grains exporter. Through a combination of factors our
national supply of grains and oilseeds far exceeds our national demand. So
we in the United States depend on export trade. Yet, United States exporters
do not find the welcoming arms of other countries that we anticipated after
passage of the 1996 farm bill. Whether there are subsidy issues as is the
case of the European Union, biotech issues with some Asian countries, or the
fact that other countries can feed themselves like those in South America,
the expectation and promise that more trade opportunities would arise for
the American farmer is not yet true. As the United States continues to try
to negotiate better trade arrangements with countries specifically in the
western hemisphere, it misses the opportunity to look a gift horse in the
mouth. Not far from our largest agricultural export facilities of the Gulf
Coast and the mouth of the Mississippi River, lies Cuba. As many other
countries keep their trade options and business open with Cuba, the United
States has almost none. We need to build and nurture better relationships
with countries that want our products. We will not be successful in finding
new markets without good relationships.

We know that some U.S. medical and food supplies are available to Cuba, but
only on a limited cash basis. This is just a little tiny crack in the trade
doorway. I would suggest that it is time to open wider that crack. I know
that opening the doorway to Cuba will not be the answer to the woes of
American farmers, but if we take the opportunity like this in other
countries, especially in Latin America, then collectively we can create a
whole new market closer to home. Cuba can be the beginning.

Trade can range from simple cheap commodities like grain to the expensive
and complicated such as satellite technology. Perhaps just allowing travel
to Cuba will be a good place to start. Bit by bit the United States should
increase the size of the crack in the door until it is someday wide open to
allow for a win/ win relationship for people in both countries. Studies have
been done that show this is possible. We just need a little tolerance and
compromise to make it happen.

Agriculture is the perfect toe to stick in the doorway to Cuba and having at
least an agricultural toehold will help all United States industries when
trade opens up. It is nonthreatening to the United States, but all positive
for farmers and their cooperatives. This is especially helpful to an economy
that has been in a tailspin since the 1996 farm bill as is evidenced by
massive annual emergency economic assistance. We all know that our
competitors as well as our partners live on opposite sides of the globe, not
the street like in decades past. It makes good sense to become friends with
our neighbors and learn to succeed together. Here is our chance.

In closing, I believe that all producers, local cooperatives and regional
co-op exporters, as well as the organizations to which they belong, would
welcome any United States effort to permit agricultural trade with Cuba. I
represent these groups and I know I welcome it. Thank you for this
opportunity, your attention, and your consideration of opening trade with
Cuba. I am proud of you for your efforts.