(NAFB.com) – U.S. red meat exports are growing in Cuba due in part to an expansion of private-sector buying. To help exporters capitalize on the opportunity, the U.S. Meat Export Federation held an educational seminar in Miami, bringing exporters and buyers together to learn more about conducting business in Cuba. Paul Johnson of FocusCuba, a consulting firm that helps U.S. companies interested in the Cuban market, says much of the interest from Cuban buyers is for U.S. pork due to a sharp decline in Cuba’s domestic pork production. Opportunities for U.S. ag exporters are expanding because they now have access to more buyers rather than working through Cuba’s government procurement agency. Through September, U.S. pork exports to Cuba totaled 5,843 metric tons, up 322 percent from the same period last year, and up 236 percent to a value of $17.2 million. Beef exports through September are up 1,500 percent from last year.