MDA's Director Clark Joins NASDA Trade Mission to Cuba
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Logan Kruse, Montana Department of Agriculture (406) 444-3684
MDA Director Clark Joins NASDA Trade Mission to Cuba
HELENA, Mont. – Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director, Christy Clark, joined the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) on a trade mission to Havana, Cuba. The goal of this international visit to Cuba was to identify and address trade opportunities that exist in the private sector for U.S. agricultural products, gain a better understanding of trade rules and regulations as well as the political and economic environment to strengthen the United States’ trade relationship with Cuba.
Director Clark and delegates met with government officials as well as industry and private sector leaders to learn more about how the U.S. and Cuba can collaborate in the future on agricultural trade. The delegation consisted of 13 people including other state department of agriculture directors, secretaries, and commissioners.
Delegates met with government officials from the ministry of agriculture and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel. They also met with private sector businesses and different cooperatives, also known as “Small and Medium Enterprises” (SME’s), with the goal of building relationships and learning more about the complex trading environment.
“The goal of the trip was to explore and initiate private sector relationships for potential ag trade markets to enhance international opportunities for Montana commodities,” said Director Clark. According to the USDA’s Foreign Ag Service, U.S. Trade with Cuba in 2023, totaled $337 million. While in Cuba, delegates visited cooperative farms who grew food and completed agricultural research and they also visited a pasta production facility.
The delegation included:
- Ted McKinney, CEO, NASDA
- Amanda Beal, Commissioner, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry
- Bryan Hurlburt, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Agriculture
- Christy Clark, Director, Montana Department of Agriculture
- Don Lamb, Director, Indiana State Department of Agriculture
- Hugh Weathers, Commissioner, South Carolina Department of Agriculture
- Mike Strain, Commissioner, Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry
- Thom Petersen, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- Ernesto Baron, FTA International, USA Poultry and Egg Export Council Representative (NASDA industry guest)
Funding for this trade mission was provided by the USDA’s Foreign Ag Service’s Emerging Markets Program through NASDA. The Emerging Markets Program (EMP) helps U.S. organizations promote exports of U.S. agricultural products to countries that have, or are developing, market-oriented economies and that have the potential to be viable commercial markets.
The Montana Department of Agriculture is serving Montana Agriculture and growing prosperity under the Big Sky. For more information on department programs and services, visit agr.mt.gov.
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Tags: NASDA, International Trade, Trade Mission and Director Christy Clark