Cuba, which has an underdeveloped agriculture industry but good potential for growth in tourism and other business sectors, could evolve into a solid market for U.S. farmers if trade restrictions are eased, according to Charles Norris, Iowa Farm Bureau Fed­­­­eration (IFBF) District 2 director who visited the island nation earlier this month.

"Cuba has only 11 million people so it’s a limited opportunity for us, not a home-run potential like we have with China or India," Norris said last week. "But it’s so close to our shores...