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July 15, 2016 CapitalPress.com 9 Farm groups join national effort to end Cuba trade ban By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press BOISE — Major Idaho farm groups have thrown their support behind a national ef- fort to convince Congress to end U.S. trade and travel bans on Cuba. Doing that could open the GRRU WR VLJQL¿FDQW H[SRUW RS- portunities for several Idaho agricultural products, leaders of that effort said July 7 during a press conference to introduce the new Engage Cuba Idaho State Council. The 29-member council in- cludes a large number of peo- ple involved in the state’s agri- cultural industry, including the leaders of major Idaho farm organizations. It is chaired by Gov. Butch Otter, a rancher and farmer. “There are real obstacles than from Mississippi and Ar- kansas.” One of the main obstacles is that U.S. companies and farmers that want to sell farm products to Cuba must accept only cash and cannot extend credit, he said. Another U.S. policy bars ships that have docked in Cuba from docking in the United States for 120 days. And while Cuba requires a veterinarian to inspect beef carcasses at stockyards Sean Ellis/Capital Press and slaughter houses before People who represent several of Idaho’s largest agricultural groups they’re shipped to that nation, VLWDWDWDEOH-XO\GXULQJDSUHVVEULH¿QJLQ%RLVHWRLQWURGXFHD the U.S. government doesn’t new Idaho coalition aimed at convincing Congress to loosen trade allow Cuban veterinarians to and travel restrictions to Cuba. come here. The Engage Cuba Coali- to letting American farmers Engage Cuba Coalition, told tion, which has 11 state coun- compete on an equal footing &DSLWDO3UHVVDIWHUWKHEULH¿QJ cils, includes private compa- in Cuba with their counter- “That’s one of the reasons the nies and organizations that are parts around the world,” Luke Cubans have been buying rice trying to build enough support Albee, senior adviser of the from Vietnam and Brazil rather to convince Congress to end this country’s trade and travel bans. Press conference speakers said Idaho produces a lot of farm commodities that could EHQH¿W IURP IUHHU WUDGH ZLWK Cuba, including milk powder, beef, frozen potato products, wine, pulse crops, vegetable seed and malt. “It’s really quite a match-up when you look at what Cuba imports and what Idaho produc- es,” said Skip Oppenheimer, CEO of Oppenheimer Compa- nies Inc., a food processing and distribution company. State Sen. Jim Patrick, a farmer from Twin Falls and member of the Engage Cuba Idaho Council, said Cuba used to be the No. 1 purchaser of Idaho small red beans before the U.S. trade embargo. “For some commodities, Cuba would be a big opportu- nity,” he said. Milk Producers of Idaho Executive Director Brent Olm- stead said powdered milk and cheese would probably be the most promising dairy export possibilities to Cuba. Albee said Engage Cuba has PDGHVLJQL¿FDQWSURJUHVVVLQFH it began lobbying Congress last fall. “My guess is that we may get something done on agri- culture by the end of the year, if possible,” he said. “But if not by then, the writing’s on the wall. We’ve won the war.” Cuba, a nation of 11 million people, is fast becoming one of the world’s top tourist destina- tions, according to an Engage Cuba fact sheet, and “lifting the travel ban will strengthen Cu- ba’s economy and create a mas- sive new market for U.S. agri- culture and food producers.” Grant pays Hermiston watermelon harvest kicks into gear for potato shipping study By GEORGE PLAVEN EO Media Group HERMISTON, Ore. — Hermiston watermelons, savored by Northwesterners for their distinctive sweet- ness, are back in season. Growers began harvest- By JOHN O’CONNELL ing last week, and Finley’s Capital Press Fresh Produce of Hermiston was the first to arrive with BOISE — The Idaho Potato melons in tow at the Pendle- Commission plans to hire a con- ton, Ore., Farmers’ Market. sultant to conduct a season-long “I tried them yester- inquiry into reducing rot in fresh day. They’re so sweet and potatoes that are shipped over- good,” said Naomi Sanchez, seas. who owns Finley’s Fresh The potato research was Produce with her husband, among 15 projects the Idaho Ildefonso Zuniga. “We plan State Department of Agriculture on selling out.” recently chose to fund with $1.9 While early season wa- million in 2016 specialty crop termelons might be a lit- block grants. The money is pro- tle smaller than average, vided by USDA under the Farm Sanchez said the quality Bill. remains consistent. She Overall, the state’s potato credits Zuniga for knowing industry received $405,000 in when they’re ripe for the specialty crop grants, including picking. $93,000 for the shipment study. “I don’t know how, but 86'$ZLOOLVVXH¿QDODSSURYDO he always picks them when of the projects in late September. they’re perfect,” she said. “As we’ve been shipping Hermiston watermelons fresh potatoes internationally have earned their reputation for the past several years, we’re shipping further and further away, including to Southeast Asia and the Middle East,” said Frank Muir, the potato com- mission’s president and CEO. “Shipping fresh potatoes cre- ates its own unique challenges. We’re investigating ways we can mitigate damage to those potatoes in transit.” Muir said the research will HYDOXDWH GHKXPLGL¿HU XVH DQG proper temperature control to minimize mold growth during shipments that can take weeks to reach foreign ports. Muir said Idaho shippers have expressed increasing interest in improving quality in foreign shipments. Muir hopes to have results for shippers to put to use for exports of the current crop. University of Idaho Exten- sion storage specialist Nora Ol- sen will help the commission ¿QGFRQVXOWDQWVIRUWKHZRUN Mary Jo Frazier, a support scientist for Olsen, said interna- tional shipments can end in very different environments than the U.S. ports from which they orig- inate. “Temperature control, hu- midity control, making sure there’s fresh air circulation, those are going to be the biggest keys,” Frazier said. Frazier anticipates the re- search will involve placing in- struments in actual fresh potato shipments to gather data and the use of growth chambers to simulate shipments. Kevin Stanger, of Wada Farms in Eastern Idaho, said most fresh potatoes export- ed internationally are sent in refrigerated containers but “humidity is tough.” He said shipments can take more than three weeks to reach their des- tinations, and Wada ships only top-quality potatoes to mini- mize the risk of rot. “I know we’re doing more export, and anything that can help increase the availability to continue moving potatoes out- side of the market is always a good thing,” Stanger said. ISDA also awarded the po- tato commission $109,000 to continue developing potatoes with resistance to pale cyst nematode — a microscopic worm found only in the U.S. within a small area of Idaho’s Bonneville and Bingham coun- ties. E.J. Harris/EO Media Group +HUPLVWRQZDWHUPHORQVDUHRXWRIWKH¿HOGVDQGRQGLVSOD\DWWKH)LQOH\¶V)UHVK3URGXFHERRWK-XO\ DWWKH3HQGOHWRQ2UH)DUPHUV¶0DUNHW thanks to the Columbia Ba- sin’s unique combination of climate and soil. Watermel- ons are desert plants, which take in heat during the day to produce sugar as a source of energy. Not only are the days hot enough for melons around Hermiston, but cooler nights slow the respiration process, which allows the plants to retain all that sug- ar. Light, sandy soils also allow water to filter down deep to plant’s roots. The result is a sweet and juicy summertime treat. “What isn’t good about watermelon?” Sanchez said, with a smile. “They’re so good.” Jack Bellinger, of Bell- inger Farms in Hermiston, said they started cutting melons off the vines last week. He said they’ll start shipping to stores across the Northwest this week, including the Portland and Seattle metro areas. The growing season this year has been hit-and-miss, Bellinger said, with some weeks topping out around 65 degrees and others reach- ing triple digits. That type of variation can interrupt watermelons while they’re growing, but he anticipates the crop will fare well over the next couple of months. “The quality looks re- ally good,” Bellinger said. “We’re cutting really solid watermelons right now.” John Deere Dealers See one of these dealers for a demonstration 29-7/#4N