MIAMI, United States. – The Minister of Agriculture of Cuba, Ydael Pérez Brito, recognized this Wednesday in the program Round Table that agricultural production on the Island is in a critical situation, with severe difficulties in the production of basic foods and a drastic drop in several key sectors.
During his speech, the official explained that the crisis is marked by the lack of fuel, supplies and structural problems in the country’s productive system.
Pérez Brito highlighted the alarming decrease in poultry and pork production. “Four years ago we had eight million chickens, today we have three million. As for pig breeders, we have gone from having 96,000 to only 26,000,” he stated.
As to egg productionthe situation is even more serious. “We produced between four and five million eggs a day, but currently we produce less than 200,000,” said the minister.
The cultivation of rice, an essential food in the Cuban diet, also faces serious problems. Pérez Brito mentioned that, although the country has the capacity to plant 200,000 hectares, this year only 70,000 hectares have been cultivated. Furthermore, the deficit in feed production is alarming, since the agricultural system needs between 1,200,000 and 1,500,000 tons annually, but only 200,000 tons have been produced.
The minister also explained that Cuban agriculture is operating with “less than 10% of the necessary fuel” and that irrigation is reduced to 7% of capacity. In addition, he pointed out that they have not imported fertilizers for years, except for tobacco and potatoes, which significantly affects other crops.
In an effort to improve the situation, the Ministry of Agriculture has intensified controls on producers. Pérez Brito reported that they have visited 66% of the land owners, detecting more than 100,000 irregularities. Furthermore, in the inspection of cattle, 85% of the owners were inspected, and 90% of the more than 150,000 illegalities found were resolved.
Despite these efforts, the minister recognized that production in 2024 has been insufficient to meet the country’s needs. “We are decreasing in relation to the production of important foods such as eggs, pork, milk and beef,” he noted.
The economist Pedro Monreal, in his analysis of the appearance, questioned the lack of self-criticism and the absence of clear statistics. “The crisis began before the pandemic, and agricultural policy has been incapable of resolving it,” expressed on the social network.
