National Balance of Urban, Suburban and Family Agriculture Developed in Matanzas

Matanzas was the headquarters of the National Balance of Urban, Suburban and Family Agriculture, on the 36th anniversary of the creation of the movement in Cuba.

The event included the participation of the Minister of Agriculture Idael Pérez Brito, the general deputy delegate of agriculture in the province, Roger Jiménez, the program and objective coordinator of the Government, Rebeca Fundora Águila and farmers from all over the country.

The year 2023 in the sector was characterized by a search to increase the mobilization of local resources present in each territory.

During the period, more than 4 thousand hectares of idle areas in the urban environment were incorporated into the production of fresh vegetables and condiments. This adds up to more than 16 thousand hectares nationwide, distributed in organoponics and plots. The National Director of Urban, Suburban and Family Agriculture, Elizabeth Peña Tuvuella, highlighted the provinces of Artemisa, Matanzas, Guantánamo and Ciego de Ávila as outstanding.

Regarding self-consumption, during the year more than 23 thousand hectares were incorporated in more than a thousand self-consumption areas throughout the country. Organic fertilizers do not reach the proposed potential.

To date, production in patios and plots exceeds 279 thousand tons of vegetables and 258 thousand tons of fruit trees. They also add up to more than 225 million units of eggs, more than one million 300 thousand liters of goat milk and around 33 thousand tons of backyard pork, modest but significant figures in family nutrition.

Suburban agriculture, close to celebrating its 15th anniversary, continued to consolidate its character of comprehensive farm exploitation and its focus on local sustainability.

Regarding the marketing of products, the provinces of Havana and Villa Clara stand out as the territories with the largest number of points of sale.

In its 36 years of history, the Urban, Suburban and Family Agriculture movement continues its joint work with the CDR, the FMC, AZCUBA, the MINSAP, the MINFAR, the MININT and the ANAP.

By 2024, the Minister of Agriculture declared that work should focus on the rescue of idle areas, the creation of new farms and organic farms and the incorporation of a greater number of plots into productivity. (ALH)

Translated by Casterman Medina de Leon