The need to increase food production, take advantage of productive capacities and strengthen agricultural programmes was the focus of the working day of Salvador Valdés Mesa, Vice-President of the Republic of Cuba and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, in the province of Ciego de Ávila.
The meeting was attended by Julio Heriberto Gómez Casanova, First Secretary of the Party in the territory, together with representatives of entities linked to agricultural production, including AZCUBA and the Agriculture system.
During the exchange, the results of the planting campaign, the differences between territories and the limitations affecting compliance with production plans were analysed. The behaviour of high-demand crops, such as beans and maize, fundamental for national supply and the population’s food, was also examined.
Among the results presented, the performance of the Chambas Agro-Industrial Company in rice planting stood out. Juan Carlos Balmaceda, director of this entity, reported 4,528 hectares planted, a figure representing 123 per cent of the planned target.
When addressing the programmes and grain production, the importance of Ciego de Ávila as one of the main contributors of beans to the national balance was highlighted. However, the planting of this crop experienced a decrease due to limitations in using electric irrigation systems.
Despite these difficulties, the La Cuba Agricultural Company achieved a production of more than 11,000 tonnes of beans, according to its director, Ariel Nives Concepción, who added that this year it reports higher production with more than 60 of the 971 hectares of beans planted and 70 hectares dedicated to maize cultivation.
Valdés Mesa insisted on the need to raise production levels in various crops and grains, as well as to forge alliances that contribute to recovering the pig and poultry programmes, affected by the deficit of animal feed.
As part of the day, the Vice-President visited the farm of Orisley Rodríguez Ceballo, where he inquired about the alternatives applied to develop aquaculture, an experience with results at the provincial level.
At the unit, he also learned about pig farming and the implementation of poultry farming, still incipient but with progress in stabilising egg deliveries to priority sectors of the municipality of Majagua.
The day made it possible to examine productive experiences, difficulties and alternatives to increase agricultural production, in a context that demands making better use of available resources and strengthening initiatives capable of contributing to territorial self-sufficiency and the supply of food to the population.
