Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/764547
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER JANUARY 1, 2017 25 Donald Trump, however, has put a giant question mark over U.S.-Cuban relations; during his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to reverse Obama's Cuba policy. The sense of uncertainty deepened in November when Fidel Castro died. Some have speculated that Fidel Castro's death would accelerate democratic reforms within Cuba. When I was preparing to travel to Cuba, many friends said they wanted to go before traditional Cuba was gone, as if Obama had triggered the quick arrival of a thousand Starbucks. Miller Lite would push out rum. That didn't happen, nor will it soon. The reasons are complex, having as much to do with Cuba's internal politics and culture as with unwillingness in Congress to unknot U.S.-Cuban trade. Obama could only get so far by tinker- ing with regulations. Without changes in U.S. law, Cuban importers cannot get financing for the purchase of American goods. What Americans call a trade "embargo," Cubans call a blockade. Whatever liberalizations that may have occurred, it's not yet, to misapply one of Obama's own phrases, change we can believe in. Cuban hardliners distrust the U.S. and work to dial back reforms, including steps to allow growers to buy supplies and sell crops at prices that reward investment. Roughly 80 percent of Cuban farmland is controlled by the state; with certain exceptions, gov- ernment sets prices and quantities for buying seed and other supplies. Cubans take pride in the excellence of their free education and health care systems, but they pay a price for imperfections in socialism: Farmers at times cannot get fertilizer and chemicals, nor gas for aging tractors or trucks. Economists who track Cuba say the country imports 60 percent or more of food needed for its 11 million people. Before the revolution, Cuba was the ninth-leading destination for U.S. agricul- tural exports, amounting to $600 million annually in inflation-adjusted dollars. The biggest U.S. shipments to Cuba were chicken parts, rice and vegetables. When trade rules began to loosen, exports of all goods to Cuba grew but only to $365 million per year. The U.S. law requiring cash payments before shipment to Cuba places an enormous barrier to expanded trade with the U.S., said Aurelio Mollineda Martinez, one of the most senior Cuban officials we met on our visit. Martinez, director general of the import-export agency Geocomex, said the proximity of U.S. ports to Cuba, plus the quality of its products such as grain and rice, would Continued from Page 21 are sold to consumers at prices of continuing trade barriers The U.S. law requiring cash payments before shipment to Cuba places an enormous barrier to expanded trade with the U.S., said a Cuban official. Frost control has become very important to us. In the last 9 years, we have had 5 frost events that have significantly damaged our production. We decided to do something to help mitigate this so our production would be consistent. That's where Orchard-Rite ® wind machines have come into play for us. In mid April of 2014, we reached 24 degrees outside the vineyard, yet we were able to save 100% of the fruit under the machines. Outside of the coverage area, we lost almost all of the fruit. At harvest, we picked over 6 tons per acre in the protected area and less than 1 ton per acre in any unprotected vines. The wind machines also reduced my vine damage. I put the wind machines on 10 year old vines and experienced minimal damage, but any unprotected 1 year old vines were completely decimated by the cold temperatures. In the future, when I set out a new planting, I will install Orchard-Rite ® wind machines to provide protection for the following Spring. Damaging young plants is a huge expense not only in lost production but in extra management costs to replant and retrain damaged vines. I believe that the wind machines will help our Texas wine industry grow consistent crops that our wine makers can depend on to produce superior wines and to reliably supply our markets. "The grape vines under my wind machines yielded 6 tons per acre while my unprotected areas had less than 1 ton per acre." -- Andy Timmons Lost Draw Vineyard Lubbock, TX, USA