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Longtime obstacles are holding up progress for Illinois to sell crops and farm equipment to Cuba.

That’s as some travel, diplomatic and trade restrictions begin to ease between the U.S. and Cuba.

There’s cash in the corn at Big River Resources in Taylor Ridge, Illinois.

The grain elevator serves two regional ethanol plants.

One day, it could also be exporting ethanol to Cuba.

“The Cubans are open to doing business with us, but we’ve got to make this easier,” said Rep. Cheri Bustos, (D) Illinois.

Rep. Bustos is just back from a trade mission to Cuba.

The island nation imports nearly all of its food.

The U.S. held Cuba’s largest market share during the last decade.

“We want them to say, Illinois, they know what’s going on as far as agriculture,” Rep. Bustos said. “We want them to feel that and know that.”

But local farmers know all about the longtime U.S. trade embargo with Cuba.

It requires Cubans to purchase items in advance and only with cash.

“That’s pretty tough for them to do,” said Taylor Ridge farmer Tom Mueller. “We could expand our markets a lot more if they could use credit.”

It could pump $120 million into Illinois each year.

But any big changes won’t happen overnight. Despite thawing tension, it’s still an uphill battle.

“It just seems to hold so much back,” said Rep. Bustos.

Business that could be going to the United States right now is being snapped up by Brazil, Argentina, France and Vietnam.

“Cubans would much prefer to buy products from the country that’s just 90 miles away,” said Adam Nielsen, Illinois Farm Bureau, who joined the trade mission. “It makes sense for that to happen.”

Rep. Bustos hopes that legislation and hosting Cuban visitors in her district could eventually make it a reality.

Farmers like Mueller say that a Cuban deal could also relieve low corn prices.

“We anticipate it could be a great market for us,” he concluded.

But it’s a market that needs credit and cash to succeed.

Tags » Tom Mueller

Bustos calls to ease credit restrictions for Cuban crop purchases