At least 30 US agriculture companies and associations said on Thursday that they will lobby Congress to end the 1962 Cuba embargo.

Company representatives said they wanted to take advantage of the recent rapprochement between the two countries to end the embargo.

A year ago the countries created a coalition called the US Agriculture Coalition for Cuba and chairwoman Devry Boughner Vorwerk, who is vice-president of Minneapolis-based multinational

Cargill Inc, told a news conference that “we will work with key stakeholders to build the momentum.”

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said President Barack Obama looked forward to engaging with Congress “in an honest and serious debate on what we can do to promote positive change in Cuba. That is where the farmers and ranchers come into play.”

Statistics from the US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council showed recently that the past year could be the worst for US exports to Cuba in the last decade.

Farmers say their main barrier is a US government ban on providing credit to the island and that will not change under the reforms that Mr Obama announced last month.

The President’s proposals include a slight relaxation of rules on payments to US farmers, allowing Cuba to pay on delivery rather than with orders, but US law still bans credit.

The US is expected to issue detailed rules on opening trade this month but granting credit would require an Act unlikely to be passed by the Republican-dominated Congress.