State production of bread fell by 34% in Cuba in the last six years, while that of processed rice contracted by 90% and that of pasta fell by 91%, the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) reported this Tuesday. ).
The report “Manufacturing Industry in Cuba. Selected indicators 2023” show that the majority of the island’s industrial production has contracted significantly since 2018, years in which the country has been plunged into a serious multifactorial crisis.
Proof of this situation are the figures for the food industry, especially significant given the shortage of basic products that Cuba suffers and the need to import 80% of what it consumes, according to United Nations data.
23 categories dropped
Thus, bread production went from 493,700 tons in 2018 to 326,300 in 2023. In that same period, rice went from 272,800 tons to 27,900, and pasta fell from 36,700 tons to 3,200.
The 23 categories of food products registered in the ONEI report decreased significantly. Among others, coffee fell 51%; that of refined vegetable oils, 81%; that of whole shrimp, 83%; and wheat flour, 57%.
Meat products also experienced a sharp drop. Banded pork production contracted by 91%, boneless beef by 58% and preserved meats by 33%.
Dairy charted a similar decline in the comparison between 2018 and 2023 with a 52% drop in cheeses, 90% in evaporated milk and 69% in yogurt.
For its part, beer production decreased by 53% and soft drink production by 52%.
Industrial production and workforce
The trend is similar in other industrial areas, from the manufacture of cardboard to fertilizers, including concrete blocks, with some exceptions such as petroleum refining, footwear and some household appliances, among others.
The general decline in industrial production cannot be attributed to the reduction in the workforce, which according to the ONEI rose slightly in the study period.
The report, which collects only partial data, does not include aggregate indicators that condense the general situation or by sectors of industrial activity.
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The combination of the pandemic, the tightening of US sanctions and errors in national economic and monetary policy have aggravated structural problems in the Cuban economy.
In recent years, the shortage of basic basic products has worsened, blackouts have increased and inflation has been rampant with a growing dollarization of the economy in Cuba.
The situation and the lack of prospects have generated social discontent, visible in several anti-government protests and an unprecedented, unstoppable wave of migration.
Efe/OnCuba.
