DENVER, CO - A new fresh produce adventure recently began for the team at Potatoes USA. The company has bolstered its operations once again by sending its first seed potatoes shipment to Cuba. Ten different varieties were included in the trial, which will be headed up by the Ministry of Agriculture in Cuba. Once the trial is completed, Potatoes USA may begin the shipment of commercial U.S. seed potatoes.
“The U.S. potato industry appreciates the efforts by USDA APHIS and FAS staff to secure market access for U.S. seed potatoes to Cuba,” said John Toaspern, Chief Marketing Officer. “This is a natural market for U.S. seed potato exporters and we look forward to continuing to work with USDA to develop and build the market. We also appreciate the cooperation of the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture in both the market access protocol and the initial trials of U.S. seed potatoes. We believe that it will be a real benefit for Cuban potato producers to have access to high quality U.S. seed potatoes.”
According to a press release, the USDA and Ministry of Agriculture signed a market access protocol for these seeds to enter Cuba. The details of the shipping requirements will be posted to the USDA APHIS PCIT export database and available on the Global Trade Regulations Database.
The process of finalizing this shipment began six years ago when Potatoes USA leaders and industry experts visited Cuba. The company received approval to utilize USDA Market Access Program (MAP) funds in Cuba for the July 2020/June 2021 marketing year.
Cheers to a new venture! Keep checking back to ANUK as we bring you the latest fresh produce news.
