Cuba Produces Agricultural Implements
By Juan Soto Cutiño    Photos: Ernesto Peña Leyva 


Of great value to rural people is the rescue of the construction of these implements. 

Workers of this eastern province of Las Tunas are working in the manufacture of agricultural implements. Appealing to the historical memory of the use of animal traction in agriculture, now the province is going forward with the rescue of the production of plows and cultivators; their use assumes greater significance in the current crisis and blockade conditions that faces the country, so they cut imports, and help the farmer, farm and cooperative worker confront the preparation of land, without major difficulties.

Although the call was open for all territorial entities with experience and potential to undertake the task, the March 13 Provincial Company, from the Ministry of Agriculture, is the one which is setting the pace in that direction.

WITH HEART IN HAND 


"Between the candle and the irons I feel at home. So while I've got the strength I’ll be making plows and cultivators," said the blacksmith Roberto Batista.

Pioneer in their fabrication, Base Business Unit (BSU) of the Agricultural Implement Manufacturing Workshops of the Company, was forced by the Special Period to get rid of that range, due to lack of raw materials.

"But despite the long period of inactivity, the possibility of resuming the production of implements brought us joy, even if it meant repairing the pneumatic hammer, electric drill, and rebuilding the forge, the most difficult thing was to locate and convince experienced veteran blacksmith Roberto Batista Gonzalez-retired-to return to the workshop from where he departed a few years ago in search of new business horizons," says Floriberto Cantero Peña head of the workshop.

In late December last year everything was ready to restart the task, because what seemed a difficult challenge to overcome, became a pure management process, for as soon as Robert was told the idea, he embraced it with considerable joy.

So between January and May the BSU produced 28 number one plows, 31 of type one and a half and 32 cultivators, whose distribution began in the Peru, Mixed Crops and Agricultural Supply Enterprise Las Tunas.

"For a start, this result is not bad, but having got metal-cutting shears and if the Metal-Cuba company could secure a stable supply of rolls, now we would be talking about a much higher number of tools built," says the Director of the Workshop.

If the use of flame cutting equipment is replaced by a shear, rather than the 40 or 50 tools that can be made per month, that number could exceed 130, improve quality and humanize the workplace. Hence the management of the organization has gone out in search of coveted equipment and would appreciate, greatly, any help in this regard.

"What we're doing now we can move forward with heart in hand, but the Cuba Metal company cannot supply the rolled steel, the supply of acetylene is unstable and the nuts and bolts we’re having to sort out in the capital. Still we making implements with what we can collect from raw materials and other places", said Francisco Garcia, head of the Base Business Unit.

The March 13 Company has already earned about 22,000 pesos from equipment that doesn’t use fuel, spare parts or tyres, doesn’t compact the ground nor contaminate the environment.

For these reasons the blacksmith Roberto Batista, "This time the economic and irreplaceable rural tradition of working the land with animal traction, will have an unlimited life in Las Tunas with the agricultural implements that have already begun to circulate in the territory.”