 |
|
|
|||||
|
|
January 27, 2005 NDSU Sells Sheep to Cuba North Dakota State University-raised Katahdins were part of the first major U.S. shipment of sheep to Cuba since the United States imposed an economic embargo against its neighbor 40 years ago. The 10 ewes and five rams left NDSU in a trailer Jan. 4 on their way to Mississippi. After being quarantined for two weeks, they left Gulfport, Miss., Jan. 20 for a 36-hour barge ride to Havana. When the sheep arrived, their new owners found a little surprise. One of the ewes had given birth to twins. Cuban officials e-mailed Bert Moore, an associate professor in the NDSU Animal and Range Sciences Department, that all of the sheep arrived in good condition. Katahdins, which don’t have wool, are produced for meat. They should fit in well with Cuba’s sheep flocks, which consist of breeds without wool, Moore said. Ralph Kaehler of St. Charles, Minn., an NDSU graduate who has a good working relationship with people in Cuba, learned the Cuban government was looking for sheep for research. He then contacted NDSU officials. NDSU arranged the sale of the sheep through Alimport, the organization that handles Cuba’s importation of agricultural products. Cuba also bought 16 Southdown sheep from Mike Bishop, an NDSU graduate who raises sheep near Rio, Wis., and 13 Montadale sheep from farms in Minnesota and Illinois. Cuban researchers plan to test the sheep’s performance and adaptability to the country’s environment, Moore said. The animals will be housed at CENPALAB, a major agricultural, biomedical and biotechnology research center outside Havana. “It’s very impressive,” said Moore, who has visited the facility. “There are some very good scientists there.” NDSU and the other U.S. sheep producers were able to sell their animals to Cuba as the result of federal legislation passed in 2001, he said. The legislation allowed the United States to offer Cuba humanitarian aid in the wake of Hurricane Michelle. Cuban officials said they would accept the aid, but the country would pay for it. Moore said NDSU was ready to ship the sheep to Cuba in January 2004, but the U.S. government delayed issuing visas to Cuban veterinarians, who must inspect the premises where livestock were raised before they are allowed into Cuba. Although this wasn’t a huge sale, it’s important for developing good relations with a country 90 miles away that has the potential of being a lucrative trading partner, according to Moore. Easing the embargo’s restrictions moved Cuba up on the list of U.S. trading partners from 180th in 2000 to 21st place last year, he said. ### Source: Bert
Moore, (701) 231-7651, bert.moore@ndsu.edu
Click here for a larger format of this photo. (1601 Kb) Photo cutline: NDSU staff and Cuban veterinarians take a break while inspecting the university’s sheep research facilities before some of the Katahdins in the background head to Cuba. From left to right are: Craig Damstrom, translator, Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Wes Limesand, NDSU shepherd; Paulino Sanchez, Cuban veterinarian; Vladamir Martinez, Cuban veterinarian; Charlie Stoltenow, NDSU Extension Service veterinarian; Ralph Kaehler, Homedale Farm Enterprises, St. Charles, Minn.; and Bert Moore, associate professor, NDSU Animal and Range Sciences Department. |
Market Advisor: |
|
North Dakota State University |
