03/13/07 Otter seeks Cuba permission

Idaho Governor Butch Otter is planning a trade mission to Cuba next month but there's a big' if.' Will the US State Department give him permission to go to Cuba where he wants to promote the sale of Idaho farm products and computer chips? Otter has been to Cuba a couple of time but Idaho food and medical sales to the island nation have been less than 25 thousand dollars. Otter believes the trade embargo on Cuba in force since 1962 should be lifted. That's the way Chris Garza of the American Farm Bureau feels too. GARZA "Cuba is a great example of how sanctions don't necessarily work. Farm Bureau has been opposed to sanctions with any country because all it does is limit the United States' impact on those countries and prohibits agricultural sales." Congress has gotten into the act with legislation that would open the door to Cuba. GARZA "It would allow us to sell our products and have Cuba directly wire money to the United States instead of having to go through third counties. It would allow Cuban inspectors into the United States to basically make sure that the products they're getting are coming from clean and safe processing facilities." Idaho officials have filed their travel requests with the State Department and now they wait to see if they'll be given permission to go to Cuba. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott