December 11, 2003

 

NDSU Sheep Researcher Heading to Cuba

Bert Moore, a sheep researcher at North Dakota State University, is heading to Cuba as part of a delegation led by Craig Danstrom with the Minnesota State Department of Agriculture. "We are interested in finding out the scope of their sheep industry, what they are trying to do and how they may want to expand it," Moore says. "Part of our stay is devoted to visiting sheep operations. I’ve also been told that they have a reasonably well organized sheep research program in Cuba."

Pedro Alvarez Borrego, the CEO of Alimport, which is Cuba’s exclusive food buying agency, invited Moore to Cuba. Over the past 20 months, Alimport has closed deals worth $598 million with over 100 American firms in more than 30 states.

Alimport, although a food buying agency, also has interest in the sheep industry. "We have, at least at this point, a tentative agreement to sell some sheep from the NDSU flock to be delivered in March," Moore says. "The agreement calls for 64 head to be delivered, 16 of those would come from NDSU. We would be sending them Katahdins, which do not grow fleece but instead a hair coat that it sheds somewhat like cattle do."

Recently two sires from NDSU’s Katahdin flock were recognized as among the top sheep of their breed in North America. "That recognition brought some notoriety to our program and acknowledges that we have a group of sheep here at NDSU that are genetically superior," Moore says.

A North Dakota group led by Commissioner of Agriculture, Roger Johnson, will also be traveling to Cuba. "The North Dakota group looking to sell products is primarily crop orientated while the Minnesota group has significant livestock interests," Moore says. "Another connection with Minnesota is Ralph Kaehler, an NDSU graduate who ranches near St. Charles. He has been to Cuba three times promoting cattle and other agricultural products."

Traveling with Moore to Cuba will be his wife Millie. She is the national secretary for the Montadale Sheep Association, which is based in Fargo. Part of her responsibility will be to eventually select and gather some of the Montadale breeding stock that will be sent to Cuba. The Cubans are also interested in the Dorper and Southdown breeds.

The visit coincides with the second anniversary of the first agricultural shipments to Cuba since the embargo was put in place back in 1963. "When we get everything arranged for shipping, it will be the first substantial shipment of sheep to Cuba since the embargo," Moore says.

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Source: Bert Moore, (701) 231-7651, bert.moore@ndsu.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu

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