Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the United States should open an agricultural office in Cuba and hopes to find funding to do so through the 2017 agriculture appropriations bill. In announcing the President’s proposed agriculture budget Tuesday, Vilsack said he hopes the request will “alert Congress that there is an expanded trade opportunity in Cuba,” according to the Hagstrom Report. Few other details are available other than Vilsack wants to open the office in Cuba. As part of budget request materials released Tuesday, USDA said the agency needs an in-country presence in Cuba to cultivate key relationships, gain firsthand knowledge of the country’s agricultural challenges and opportunities and develop programs for the mutual benefit of both countries.
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