Bootheel rice arrives in Cuba

Daily Statesman

DEXTER, Mo. -- Rice from Stoddard County has arrived in Cuba, and the Cubans are buying more U.S. commodities.

Eighth District U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson said last week the Cubans "have actually made some second-round purchases from Tyson for chicken quarters." She added that some of the chicken quarters came from the Dexter Tyson plant.

She said she is speaking this weekend at an U.S. Cuban agricultural sales conference and a number of Cuban government officials will be in attendance.

"We have about a billion and a quarter dollars' worth of exports that we could be making to Cuba," Emerson said. "This is a real opportunity for us, and I just absolutely refuse to let it go down the tubes."