(EFE).- The intense rains that affected Cuba a week ago damaged 4,889 hectares of various crops, part of the tobacco harvest, and paralyzed rice planting in some regions, the Ministry of Agriculture reported this Saturday.
The figures are part of the material damage caused by the rainfall that left four dead, thousands of evacuees and 750 houses affected in the west and center of the country.
Of the total damaged crops, 53% were totally lost, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, which specified that they were sweet potato, cassava, cucumber, pumpkin and corn crops.
507 tons of tobacco were also lost, “which represents 1.07% of the total of that plant in existence in the province (Pinar del Río)”, although they point out that they recovered “195.43 tons”, said the source quoted by the newspaper Granma officer.
A first report published on June 5 spoke of 3,200 hectares affected by the rains
In that western region, one of those affected by the rains, “there are 1,050 hectares of mature rice with possible damage.”
In the central provinces of Cienfuegos and Ciego de Ávila, the Ministry of Agriculture reports the paralysis of the rice harvest, while evaluating other hectares that are under water.
The report points out that “five eggs per capita are distributed in the country” as part of the basic basket subsidized by the Government, which initially included ten eggs and later decreased to seven.
A first report published on June 5 spoke of 3,200 hectares affected by the rains.
In February, the Cuban government presented a proposal for a food sovereignty law to the National Assembly of People’s Power with the aim of increasing agricultural production and thus reducing its dependence on imports.
The Island imports between 60% and 70% of the food it consumes with an approximate cost that exceeds 2,000 million dollars a year, according to official data.
The combination of the pandemic, the tightening of the sanctions of the economic embargo applied by the United States to Cuba and the errors in macroeconomic management have generated shortages of basic products, famine, the partial dollarization of the economy and high inflation.
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