Perdue Farms Inc. These corporations will then ship the goods to Cuba.
“We are going to really pressure larger companies here to partner with African American farmers, since [the farmers] have the entree now and the credibility. That’s the objective of all of this. This is a beginning. It’s the opening of a door through which we hope many other economic projects will follow,” says Mfume.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) spokesperson Wayne Baggett says while the agency does not normally comment on private transactions such as the black farmers’ deal with Cuba, these kinds of sales are perfectly legal with proper licensing. He pointed out that although the Bush administration’s policy has not changed regarding trade with Cuba, easing of trade sanctions began in 1999 under President William Clinton.