020941 U.S. Livestock Arrive at Cuban Expo

Havana (AP) - Sniffing and snorting inside their wooden crates, the first American livestock in more than four decades arrived in Cuba Saturday, the main attraction at an American agribusiness exposition.

"The animals look great. They took the trip well," said Ralph Kaehler of Kaehler's Homedale Farms in St. Charles, Minn.

The wooden crates holding the animals were gently lowered from a DHL plane on a hydraulic lift, then loaded by forklift onto trucks.

"We hope to do a lot of business with the Cuban people as time goes on," said Kaehler, whose family firm will be showing the livestock at the five-day show starting here on Thursday. "For us, it's a real privilege to be involved in this. When we move into a new market, it's real exciting."

The U.S. Food and Agribusiness Exhibition is the first trade show of its kind to be held here since U.S. trade sanctions were imposed on the communist-run island four decades ago.

As of early September, 234 American companies, organizations and state offices from thirty-two states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico had confirmed they'd participate in the event, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council of New York.

The council, which tracks the Cuban economy, said the participating exhibitors collectively market more than 3,000 products.

Participants hope that their products will whet Cuban officials' appetites for more American food and agricultural products, prompting Havana to keep buying their goods under a new U.S. law.

The law, passed in 2000, permits direct commercial sales of U.S. food and agricultural products to Cuba in an exception to the long-standing trade sanctions. All sales must be paid for in cash.

At first, Cuban officials refused to buy "a single grain of rice" under the law because it barred American financing for the transactions.

But Fidel Castro's government began taking advantage of the law in November after Hurricane Michelle devastated central Cuba and it was forced to dip into its food reserves to feed storm victims.

Since then, Cuba has bought more than $120 million in American food, including beans, peas, rice, wheat, poultry -- even apples.

Castro told reporters he would attend the fair.

"We are happy they are coming," he told reporters after presiding over a gathering of regional economists.

Also attending the fair will be Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, who is arriving in Cuba Wednesday with a trade delegation from his state. Agriculture chiefs from eight American states will also attend the show.

Ventura's plans have been criticized by the U.S. State Department and by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — even though the exposition in Cuba has full U.S. Treasury Department approval.

The exhibition comes amid increasing pressure by American opponents of the trade sanctions — including many Republican lawmakers.

President Bush and many Cuban exile leaders in South Florida insist that the sanctions should not be eased until Fidel Castro's socialist government embraces democratic and free-market reforms.

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