HAVANA (AP) – Vermont has signed a historic contract to sell 100 cows to Cuba.

The signing took place at a press conference Monday at the 12th annual Havana International Trade Fair.

Dr. Gerardo Quaassdorff of the Brattleboro-based Holstein Association signed on behalf of Vermont. “We’re happy to have the opportunity to export to Cuba fine quality cattle, the best cattle in the world,” he said in Spanish.

John Parke Wright IV, a Florida cattle dealer who helped negotiate the deal, and Pedro Alvarez, head of a Cuban government import agency also signed, while Ramon Castro, the oldest brother of President Fidel Castro, watched.

Both Alvarez and Wright, whose families’ business ties to Cuba date back to the 1800s, called for an end to the 40-year-old U.S. trade embargo and travel restrictions. Currently the only exceptions to the embargo are food and agricultural products and medical supplies.

“This is not a big contract in terms of the financial amount,” Wright said. “However, it has a gigantic impact on the welfare of ranchers and farmers in Cuba and ranchers and farmers in the United States.”

Quaassdorff declined to say how much Cuba was paying for the Vermont cows but an earlier estimate put the price at $1,200 to $1,600 each.

The sale of the 100 registered heifers – 50 Holsteins and 50 Jerseys – was the culmination of a April trade mission to Cuba by Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie.

Vermont Agriculture Secretary Steve Kerr followed that up with his own trip in September. He came away with agreements for Cuba to buy not only heifers but apples and powdered milk with a total value of $7 million.

Kerr is scheduled to arrive in Havana on Wednesday to continue negotiating contracts for the apples and dry milk.