Cuba gives priority to domestic food production

Like other countries, Cuba is also introducing a series of restrictions and measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic. “Food production is the top priority, but we must work safely,” announced Minister of Agriculture Gustavo Rodríguez Rollero, who is working on a plan to achieve this goal.

The country will prioritise crops that allow for self-sufficiency, including rice, beans, corn, potatoes and vegetables as well as the production of pork and chicken.

Rollero also said that the country will boost cultivation of exportable products such as tobacco, honey, coffee, cocoa and charcoal that account for a considerable portion of its foreign currency revenue.

As well as making a certain amount of uncultivated state-owned land available to the Cuban population, the new measures include incentives for agricultural labourers aimed at making up the shortfall of around 9,000 workers.