Here's how Cuba can help Louisiana flourish

Louisiana is ready to regain a major industry it lost 50 years ago when the United States placed an embargo on Cuba.

"Prior to the embargo, Cuba was the largest importer of Louisiana rice," said Kevin M. Berken, chairman of Louisiana Rice Promotion Board, Friday inside the Petroleum Club. "So it is critically important for us to be able open trade with other countries, Cuba being the main focus. It has been a focus for the last 20 or 30 years."

Berken was one of four panelists who spoke during a conference addressing the recent U.S. decision to lift portions of the longstanding embargo. The conference was hosted by Le Centre International de Lafayette.

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"We are not going to talk about politics. We are going to talk about who's against and who's for," said Philippe Gustin, international trade manager for the center, before introducing speakers. "We are going to talk about how Louisiana and Cuban people can work together to conduct business and conduct cultural exchange and visit each other."

Other panelists included Gary P. LaGrange, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans; Charles Larroque, executive director of Council for the Development of French in Louisiana; and Larry Sides, president of SIDES & Associates.

The conference came the day after the U.S. Departments of the Treasury and Commerce announced President Barack Obama's amendments to existing Cuban sanctions, Gustin said.

"These changes will immediately enable the American people to provide more resources to empower the Cuban population to become less dependent upon the state-driven economy, and help facilitate our growing relationship with the Cuban people," the White House said in its press release Thursday.

As of now, Mexico is the largest importer of U.S. rice with 800,000 metric tons a year, Berken said. But the rice industry wants to re-establish its relationship with the Caribbean country that once demanded the domestically grown crop.

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"Cuba is the second largest importer of rice in the Americas. They have the highest per capita consumption of rice, which is about 200 pounds," he said. Cuba grows about 400,000 metric tons of its own rice, but imports 600,000 metric tons, or $300 million worth, Berken said.

As of now, its biggest supplier is Vietnam.

"When we were sending rice there in the early 2000s, there were lines formed around the block and people would wait for hours trying to get our rice," Berken said. "The Cuban people like the rice we grow here."

Although the embargo was never lifted, tension between the U.S. and Cuba eased a bit during the Clinton administration, Sides said.

Sides has traveled to Cuba 24 times in the last 15 year on the religious license. He said he does not get involved in any political aspect of the country. He merely goes for mission trips and for leisure, he said.

"I'm simply fascinated with the country," Sides said Friday. The only way the U.S. will fully be able to establish a diplomatic relationship with the country, and that includes tourism, is for the U.S. to completely lift the embargo, he said.

LaGrange agrees.

"Eventually, the embargo will be lifted," Lagrange said, "and there isn't a thing in the world that Cuba doesn't need."

The country is only 700 miles from Louisiana's coast, making it prime for convenient trade especially from the Port of New Orleans, LaGrange said.

There's talk of a Cuban consulate being built in the U.S. and New Orleans may be vying against Tampa, Florida, as a host city, he said.

Culturally, Cuba's Creole heritage could be well connected to Acadiana, Larroque said.

"Louisiana should be next in line," he said. "We need a consulate in New Orleans.

"I believe we have a wonderful opportunity to resist the economic dark clouds that are on the horizon by again adding the value to the true Louisiana brand, which is Creole," he said. "It's Cajun; it's Creole — it's old colonial Creole and maybe a new element to the mix is Cuban Creole."