Proposed bills to ease U.S./Cuba ag trade

Proposed bills to ease U.S./Cuba ag trade    The U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees have included provisions in their fiscal year 2010 financial services spending bills that should help to normalize U.S.-Cuba agricultural trade, industry proponents of the proposed legislation say.
   'The language included in the spending bills would represent a small but important shift in U.S.-Cuba policy that would benefit U.S. farmers, businesses and workers,' said Jake Colvin, vice president for global trade at the Washington-based National Foreign Trade Council, in a statement on Tuesday.
   'By allowing U.S. farmers and other exporters to accept payment at the time of delivery, appropriators seek to remove an unnecessary barrier and open the door to increased exports to Cuba,' he added. 'We strongly encourage both chambers to include the provisions in the final version of the legislation.'