Havana Cuba. – In days gone by the prime minister Manuel Marrero Cruz participated in two meetings in which an assessment of the work carried out in 2022 by the ministries of Agriculture and the Food Industry was passed. As is logical to imagine, unfavorable information about the work of both organizations abounded.
The analysis of agriculture began with the discouraging statement by Mr. Marrero in the sense that his government does not have more money to import resources or finance new investments in the sector. The official cited limitations such as the lack of fuel, and the inevitable “blockade” of the United States. However, the premier said nothing about the mismanagement of resources by the government, which has invested heavily in the construction of hotels, many of which are half-empty, and very little in agriculture. He has revealed that during the past year the country invested 23,359 million pesos in the tourism sector, and only 1,855 million pesos in agriculture.
The agricultural sector failed to comply in the period with the production of root vegetables, vegetables, rice, citrus and fruit trees; while in the livestock branch the plans for the production of bovine and equine meat, eggs, milk and pork meat were not fulfilled. Here it was not overlooked that in 2022, 48,755 more head of cattle were stolen and illegally slaughtered than in 2021.
There was a consensus that the entities do not provide adequate attention to producers. Defaults to the latter amounted to 16 million 842,385 pesos. On the other hand, there are not a few companies in the sector, and even some non-state entities, where the percentage of workers not directly linked to production is high. Something that greatly complicates the productive performance of these economic actors.
In the balance of the Ministry of the Food Industry, for its part, it was reported that food production in 2022 decreased by 208,721 tons compared to 2021. That is, less was produced when the country had practically left the coronavirus pandemic! The items most affected were soy yogurt, wheat flour, croquettes, shrimp farming, domestic alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks.
With regard to these last two lines, Mr. Marrero undertook the proliferation in the country of foreign beers, rums, and soft drinks, all imported by MSMEs with the approval of the food sector authorities. He suggested bringing the raw materials to the country to produce these items internally. But, if there are no imports, and raw materials fail, as has often happened, then comes the shortage, and the consequent damage to consumers.
With respect to fish production, the Minister of the Food Industry, referring to the new Fisheries Law, pointed that “among the main difficulties that make it impossible to implement this legislation is that the actors who participate in the activity report that the rule is inflexible, creates obstacles, and sees it as the main cause of the shortage of fishery products in our national markets” .
It seems incredible that a minister associates the shortage in the country of fish products with the appearance of a new law for the sector. Because a long time ago, even long before the aforementioned law was conceived, there were no fish for ordinary Cubans. In addition to the fact that the fishing branch, together with the sugar industry, were – and continue to be – the Cinderellas of the Cuban economy.
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