AUGUSTA (AP) – Former Gov. Kenneth Curtis will represent Gov. John Baldacci on a trade mission Dec. 12-16 to promote Maine farm products in Cuba.

Maine’s potato, apple, dairy cattle and maple syrup industries will send representatives at the invitation of Alimport, Cuba’s government-run importation agency, the trip’s organizer said.

What’s described as the first coordinated business trip of its kind from Maine to Cuba is being organized by Doyle Marchant of the Cedar Spring Agricultural Co. in North Yarmouth. Individual Maine companies have visited Cuba in recent years to investigate export opportunities, according to Janine Bisaillon-Cary of the Maine International Trade Center.

Participating businesses in next month’s trade mission are paying their own way, but the state is providing a $250 stipend to each industry representative. State officials say the trade mission could lead to contracts producing more than $1 million in Maine sales to Cuba.

Agriculture Commissioner Robert Spear, who will join Maine farm representatives, said Maine businesses hope to sign contracts while they are in Cuba. However, some participants say the venture is exploratory in nature.

“To sign contracts on this trip is not something I’m anticipating,” said Donald Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board. “We’re looking at it as fact-finding, to be honest.”

Flannery and others say Maine cannot pass up an opportunity to export agricultural products to the island nation of 11.2 million people, especially because Cuban officials have expressed an interest in Maine products.

Jason Cooper of Cooper Brothers in Turner, an 800-acre apple-growing operation, said Cuba is “fairly uncharted territory” for Maine growers. He said the Cubans may be interested in moving ahead with contracts right away.

Maine exported $309.7 million in food and agricultural products in 2003, primarily to Canada, which accounted for $217.2 million of that total, says the Maine International Trade Center.

AP-ES-11-29-04 0810EST