The lack of food in Cuba does not only affect people, since farm animals do not have the necessary feed to survive on the Island. This has led the authorities to make the decision to massively sacrifice more than 54,000 laying hens in the province of Holguín.
According to the independent media 14ymediothe Provincial Poultry Company (Avihol) made the drastic decision to gradually kill the 54,000 laying hens before the situation worsened and they died of hunger.
A source with knowledge of the situation indicated that the authorities decided to sacrifice the chickens without first ensuring they had the necessary replacements, something that could have long-term consequences.
“There is no replacement, they are slaughtering them without having the replacement hen,” said the person from the slaughterhouse in San Rafael Adentro.
The economic crisis affects production in Cuba
The economic crisis that is plaguing Cuba cannot be denied, and the situation with Avihol is one of the most obvious examples of this. In 2020, the state company could supply eggs to the territories of Santiago de Cuba and Las Tunas, however, now it cannot even supply the province of Holguín.
After receiving praise from the regime for producing more than 426,000 eggs per day during that year, the company began to have problems during subsequent periods, worsening noticeably during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In May 2023, the director of Avihol, Jorge Romero Marrero, admitted that the crisis prevented the ability to acquire the resources necessary to maintain the facilities, which affected production.
The official indicated that the lack of feed had considerably decimated the chicken population, which in turn reduced egg production.
As if that were not enough, the low prices of eggs in the state market, as well as the need to maintain the quota of seven units per person through the supply book, endangered the company’s economy and caused them to lose money. this even if each hen laid three eggs a day.
