Cuba Business News and Information
Cuba News and Information
DPA
Cuba’s government has begun doling out unused agricultural land to farmers with the aim of increasing production of staple foods, tobacco and coffee, state television reported. The land is being made available to farmers only through cooperatives, Orlando Lugo Fonte, chairman of Cuba’s national farmers organization, said in the TV report Monday night.
Despite a shortage of foreign currency, the Communist Caribbean island must import a large portion of its food. The government has raised prices of agricultural produces with the aim of boosting production.
About half the cultivable land in Cuba lies fallow or is insufficiently used, according to government accounts.
The land redistribution is to proceed orderly and no chaos would result, said Fonte, who is also a member of the State Council.
This is a short story and I could not find the source other than it is from DPA. So, I’m not sure this qualifies as a reform until I can get more information.
If anyone reads more about this, please post.
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This is also an important step. If they ever hope to improve economic conditions they have to pay much more attention to agriculture production.
Events continue to move in the right direction. Raul has been talking about this issue for a while now so I believe the reporting is correct.
Thanks.
Just found this from AP so I’m going to add it to Raul’s reforms article.
Cuba Will Lend Underused State Land To Private Farmers
HAVANA (AP)--Communist Cuba is lending underused land to private farmers and cooperatives as part of a sweeping effort to step up agricultural production.
Government television said 51% of arable land is underused or fallow, and officials are transferring some of it to individual farmers and associations representing small, private producers.
The president of Cuba’s national farmers association, Orlando Lugo, said “ everyone who wants to produce tobacco will be given land to produce tobacco,” and it’ll be the same for coffee or anything else.
While private farms account for a small percentage of Cuba’s land, some economists said they produce more than half of its food.
The program began last year, but was announced only this week.
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