Lentsch wants to sell South Dakota to Cuba

Now that President Obama has opened the doorways to Iran and Cuba South Dakota's Republican Party is rushing in to reap the profits.

GOP SD Secretary of Agriculture Lucas Lentsch ranted about the challenges facing South Dakota’s agriculture industry at a conference in Deadwood.

As much as there have been policies out of Washington presenting challenges, there are others presenting great opportunity, including two big U.S. trade agreements, currently in the works: the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, the countries which comprise, receiving 73 percent of South Dakota’s exports, and the possibility of opening up Cuba, which imports 80 percent of its food, for trade. [Black Hills Pioneer]

Lentsch has been talking about getting genetically engineered food-like substances into Cuba for some time.

2015 holds numerous opportunities to grow international trade opportunities for South Dakota producers. Currently, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is negotiating two vital trade agreements with many of South Dakota’s top trading partners around the world. South Dakota also faces new market opportunities with the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba. While the trade embargo is still in effect, officials from both countries have begun talks about lifting the embargo. Open trade with Cuba would open new markets both for South Dakota agricultural products and technology. [Lucas Lentsch, AgWeek]

Professor Benno Wymar moderated the University of South Dakota’s international forum “Cuba: A New Start,” held last January.

President Barack Obama recently declared an end to the U.S. and Cuban diplomatic and economic isolation that had lasted more than 50 years. Citizens of the U.S. will finally be able to travel legally to the small Caribbean nation. Wymar said that he didn’t see how such a small island that couldn’t be a threat to the U.S. could be treated so differently. The lifting on the embargo will also benefit local businesses. The forum was sponsored by the USD Beacom School of Business. Co-sponsors were the Modern Language, Linguistic Department and the Multicultural Student Center at USD. [Jordynn Hart, Cuba: A New Start? USD Forum Ponders The Future]

South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke applauded President Obama's initiatives in Cuba.

Cuba is Earth's second most literate country; the US is tied for 20th. President Jimmy Carter tried to save the world during his Presidency but nobody cared.

Deal with #Iran, diplomatic relations with #Cuba -- maybe #obama deserved that Nobel Peace prize after all? Only if we ignore #Syria I guess

— Lulu Garcia-Navarro (@lourdesgnavarro) July 14, 2015

Ernest Hemingway in the bar Floridita in Havana. pic.twitter.com/8R5zLHjX88

— History In Pictures (@historyepics) July 14, 2015