Working the field reminds archaic conditions

Farmers have no easy way to access supplies and tools (seeds, machinery, fertilizers, etc.)

Plagues and hostile climatic conditions (droughts, hurricanes, floods)

lowering electricity and water bills for farmers.

lowering fodder and bioproducts’ prices.

authorizing beef, milk and by-products’ sales, as long as cattle farmers fulfill the State demands. (This was a longstanding claim from both producers and consumers)

 “To strategic tasks such as food production, which we have highlighted as a matter of national security, we need to keep adding up the highest possible number of people, taking into account all the current property forms and in the required order”, said former President Raul Castro in 2009.

Miguel Díaz-Canel, 11 years later, continues to insist on the “food and nutritional sovereignty”, a goal for which he has summoned the country's scientists with the same insistence as to fight COVID-19.

8.8 million dollars for the installation of a processing plant in 2020.

COCOA

Five international collaboration programs; the most important one with Vietnam.

COFFEE

Considering the collaboration with several countries, especially with Japan and Vietnam, it was possible to access non-refundable funds of over 7.9 million pesos.

RICE

The inauguration of a facility with German technology in 2019 will allow producing 130 million eggs; the inversion reached approximately 700 000 euros.

According to the CEO of “Grupo Empresarial Ganadero” in Granma, Norberto Espinosa Carro, in 2019 the investment plan for aviculture in the province exceeded the 12 million dollars.

AVICULTURE

The “Increasing the the Agricultural Ecosystems’ Resilience in Cuba” Project is supported by a non-refundable amount of US $ 38.2 million between 2021 and 2024, thanks to the aid from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Green Climate Fund.

Food products and living animals

Living animals, excluding fish

Meat and meat preparations

Frozen, boneless, bovine meat

Frozen pork meat

Chicken meat and edible remains

Processed or canned meat and meat remains

Dairy products and eggs

Condensed milk

Powder milk

Butter

Cheese and curd

Fish (marine mammals excluded), crustacean, mollusks, aquatic invertebrates and their preparations

Fresh and frozen fish and seafood

Other kinds of processed and canned fish

Cereals and processed cereals

Unground wheat and meslin

Rice

Unground barley

Unground corn

Unground oat

Grits and wheat or meslin flour

Processed cereal grains

Malt, toasted or not, or even malt flour

Legumes and fruits

Canned fruit and vegetables

Potatoes

Dried or peeled legumes

Fresh onion

Sugar, sugar derivatives and honey

Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices

Unroasted coffee

Animal fodder (except for unground cereals)

Animal flour for fodder

Different preparations for animal food

Different edible products

Other kinds of food

Tobacco and its products

LIST OF MAIN IMPORTED PRODUCTS (ONEI DATA, 2019)

Merchandising in exceptional conditions

Monitoring and control of the production,

While the craved meat, the main course, every day becomes harder to get, some still remember with sarcasm the alleged governmental objective of guaranteeing 5 kg of animal protein to each Cuban every month.

«MAMI, DAME CARNE» “Mami, I want meat”

Milk and dairy products’ lack and high prices are just an example of the absurd mindset towards the non-state production.

«EL VASO DE LECHE Y OTRAS TRAGEDIAS» “The glass of milk and other tragedies”

While meat and other animal protein suppliers are already difficult to find, even grains have alarming prices, milk and dairy products seem to be a luxury; having access to root vegetables, veggies and fruit is definitely another everyday predicament in Cuba.

«VIANDAS, HORTALIZAS Y FRUTAS: UN LUJO PARA MUCHOS CUBANOS» “Root vegetables, veggies and fruit: to many, a luxury”

Cuban agriculture is crying out for radical changes that prioritize, among other issues, the production of the necessary grains for the country, with the proper quality, quantity and diversity. Will the brand-new National Plan for Alimentary Sovereignty and Nutritional Education accomplish that?

The Dramaof Foodin Cuba

The Drama
of Food
in Cuba