Cuba is facing a critical economic scenario that has caused delays in the supply of beans, peas and edible oil for the basic basket corresponding to the month of April in some provinces, and the reduction in the number of consumers who will receive chicken for the family quota regulated in May , as reported by different authorities to national media.
According to a report by the National Television News, the distribution of the oil has experienced delays because the country did not have availability until a week ago, when a ship of the product arrived on the island, whose origin was not specified.
“The ship was supposed to arrive at the end of March and it did not arrive until the end of April due to financing problems,” said Bárbara Sardiñas, commercial director of the Havana Edible Oil and Fat Company in the report.
Since the ship arrived, work has intensified in the industry to recover arrears and complete the basic food basket for April in some territories. “27 Ferrocisterns are needed to transport the basic basket of oil for the entire Cuban population, so far 17 are loaded and it is expected that before May 1st the remaining ones can be completed”, Sardiñas.
Regarding the oil deliveries corresponding to the month of May in the Cuban capital, Víctor Sánchez, first vice president of the OSDE Alimentos del Mincin, said that all the product is already packaged in the warehouses, although the distribution will be different from previous months.
“Note that in the case of consumers who took half a liter for two months, now they will receive a liter for four months,” said the manager. In this way, a considerable number of consumers will receive oil in May and will not have access to that product again until September.
The national television report indicated that by mid-May the rest of the territories should gradually receive the oil deliveries corresponding to that month, based on the imports that should arrive in the country in the coming days.
On the other hand, Francisco Silva, general director of Merchandise Sales of the Ministry of Domestic Trade (Mincin), accurate in a note released by Cubadebate that in the month of May only children up to 13 years of age and consumers who have medical diets will receive the chicken from the basic basket.
“For consumers over 14 years of age, other meat products are distributed, such as mincemeat and mortadella,” added the manager, who did not clarify whether the new measure will be temporary or will remain the norm. In addition, he did not explain if the delayed chicken corresponding to the months of March and April would be delivered, which a large part of the population has not received.
Regarding the April coffee, Silva said that it is being produced by the industry, a process that is expected to conclude in the first days of May. Likewise, the children’s compotes are in production and distribution of the second installment.
Regarding the reception and distribution of the products of the regulated family basket for the month of May, the Wholesale Food Companies work with the objective of starting sales partially in all the wineries, according to information from Cubadebate. Regarding the delayed products from April (beans and peas), they are in the distribution process to complete the delivery.
The basic food basket maintains the approved retail prices, as does the share bread, contrary to the rumors that have circulated on social networks regarding an increase in its cost.
The Provincial Company of the Food Industry of Havana (EPIA) he pointed that no variation is available with respect to the sale price of 80-gram round bread, which will continue to cost a peso.
“Similarly, in our bakeries in the capital, the population is offered the sale of released bread in the format of 80g dog bread, at a price of 12 pesos in national currency,” the entity reported through the Facebook page of the Government of Havana.
