José Ramón Machado Ventura, second secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee, recognized the response of campesinos in the province of Artemisa to the difficulties generated by the blockade, including shortages of fuel and agricultural inputs.
During a tour of farms in Artemisa, accompanied by the province’s top leadership, he noted encouraging progress in harvesting and planting of tobacco by workers at the Lázaro Peña Combine.
Vladimir Andino Ruibal, general director of the entity, reported that tobacco processing planned for the 2018-2019 season has been completed, as well as planting of 625 hectares of wrapper leaf for export planned for 2019. He commented on progress in construction of 80 houses in a nearby community in the municipality of San Antonio de los Baños, which should support a more stable workforce.
In the basic units of cooperative production (UBPC) La Reserva and Felipe Herrera, he called for planting more tobacco for export, which provides a secure market and a good price.
Upon noting the production of various crops in the agricultural production cooperative Héroes de Yaguajay, in Alquízar, and in the Frank País credit and service cooperative, in Güira de Melena, he recognized the work done to increase production in the province, of great importance in providing food for Havana.
Maximum efficiency essential to harvest
It is essential to harvest as efficiently as possible and produce as much sugar as we can, insisted Salvador Valdés Mesa, vice president of the Republic, during a tour of the Boris Luis Santa Coloma and Héctor Molina sugar mills in Mayabeque province.
We must make good use of resources and organize them with our priorities in mind, he stated, speaking with leaders and workers at both factories.
He said that workers must be well-informed so they can actively participate in decision-making and contribute their experience in solving difficulties in such a complex process as sugar production. He said that saving resources, especially fuel, is a key.
Accompanied by the main authorities of the province, the Vice President also visited farms in the municipality of Güines, now planted with potatoes, tomatoes, malanga and other food crops. (Taken from en.granma.cu)
