«Everyday life is always a challenge, you just have to work to overcome it and do it well.» With this premise as a guide, for four years the producer Roberto Domínguez has managed to restore vitality to some 33 hectares of land that he owns in usufruct and whose productions are destined for the Harvesting Company.
At the end of 2023, about 29,700 quintals of sweet potatoes were harvested in these areas, which is the main crop that is promoted here, although beans and corn are also planted.
In this farm, known as Fregat 33 and which belongs to a Base Business Unit of the Nueva Paz Agricultural Company, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, began his tour of this territory, the fifth it reaches in the province during 2024.
Güines, Madruga, San José and Santa Cruz del Norte were visited in the previous months as part of the work system that, since the beginning of the year, has been carried out to learn about good experiences and how to multiply them, but also about inefficiencies that in many places persist and what to do to overcome them.
Roberto is one of the more than 900 beneficiaries of this municipality, which is purely agricultural and has the challenge of continuing to increase agricultural production to meet the demands of the population.
“Producing is the way,” reflected the Head of State when exchanging with the young producer whom he asked about the workers’ salary, which is around 500 pesos a day, and the way in which they distribute profits.
The provincial Meat Company, located in Nueva Paz, was the next point on the tour. Here the picadillo is made and, as part of the basic basket, is distributed to the children of Mayabeque and Havana.
In order to diversify its production and take advantage of the potential of its installed capacity, the institution has begun to develop a productive chain with other forms of management, which will allow it to have a greater supply of raw materials and thus expand its offerings to the population.
“Has the neighborhood changed?” the president asked shortly afterwards to a group of residents who came to meet him on the main street of the municipality. And given the affirmative response from those who were there, Díaz-Canel called on them to continue looking for alternatives to advance in the solution of difficulties that still exist.
The plaza, the park, the candy store, a pharmacy and several recreational institutions are some of the works that have been renovated in the territory and contribute to improving the quality of life of the more than 23,000 inhabitants of the municipality.
The Head of State also spoke to the neighbors about the importance of making everything that has been achieved sustainable and how to constantly improve it, and insisted on the importance of ensuring that the transformation is not only structural, but also social and spiritual.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ENDOGENOUS POTENTIALITIES
On Thursday morning, the Head of State arrived at the Isle of Youth, where he called for better use of endogenous potential for local development.
Although progress is seen in some agreements and indications from the previous visit to the special municipality, in relation to the greater area of planted land, the total area per inhabitant planted with rustic crops, such as banana, malanga and cassava, has not been met, it was revealed in the summary meeting of the visit.
It was made clear during the working session that the volume of water stored in the territory stands out among the strengths of Cuba’s second largest island in supporting agricultural plans.
However, the objectives proposed in the Municipal Development Strategy are slowed down by distortions in the banking process (deposits to the bank decrease and there is little availability of cash, a reason for dissatisfaction among the population), the budget deficit and non-compliance of companies in charge of capture circulation such as Wholesale and Retail Trade.
The moment was opportune to allude to subjectivities that still hinder the proper functioning and internal life of political and mass organizations.
Previously, the President toured places of socioeconomic interest in the territory accompanied by the highest local authorities.
At the Acuisla Base Business Unit, Gleris Garcés, its director, informed the president that 7.5 million fingerlings were produced at that biological station, planted in 46 bodies of water (dams, microdams and ponds on peasant farms), whose The first catches – intended for human consumption – are expected for the month of October.
In addition, they dedicate 5.0 hectares, of the 36 that the unit attached to the Pesca Isla company has, to the production of food for the self-sufficiency of the workers’ group.
At the local university, Master of Science Roelis Castillo referred to projects that contribute to food production, including the production of biol, organic foliar fertilizer, the result of an anaerobic digestion process of organic remains of animals and plants (manure and crop residues).
The agronomist highlighted the praiseworthy results in the cultivation of organic potatoes for two consecutive years, which allows local producers to be among those with the highest yields at the request of the country, in the same way work is being done to promote agroecological management in a total of 30 farms, of which three already have that condition.
Díaz-Canel also praised the work of the farmer Daniel García, who, together with five men, managed to put into production the same number of caballerias, previously destined for the cultivation of citrus. Now in this marabou-free area, various crops are promoted and the estimates of milk and meat destined for the industrial process are far exceeded.
