Cuba’s Food Sector is Growing, Says Minister

Havana, Dec 21, (RHC-acn).- Cuban Food Industry Minister Maria del Carmen Concepción said that the sector has experienced a steady growth in recent years, despite financial shortfalls and a number of subjective problems.

While addressing the National Assembly of the People's Power meeting at Havana’s Convention Center, the minister pointed out that food production advances, in spite of the effects of the current world economic crisis.

Concepción said the ministry's strategic program seeks to ensure a sustained increase, replace imports, and increase exports, productivity and efficiency.

This strategy by the Food Ministry is related to industrialization in agriculture and fisheries, milling, flour and its derivatives, as well as alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and water.

A number of investments were made, including the assembly of modules at bakeries, soy yogurt plants, factories and lines of noodles, among others, he remarked.

Nevertheless, she said, “we can still appreciate technological deficiencies, instability in the supply of raw materials, insufficient quality and lack of control in some entities.”

Agriculture Minister Ulises Rosales del Toro, for his part, noted that the greatest efforts must be aimed at working directly in the countryside, where production plans are actually materialized.