Salvador Valdés Mesa, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and Vice President of the Republic said that "Agriculture is decisive to advance in our social project and food sovereignty of the territory and for this, effective planning is vital," in a working meeting with representatives that sector in Las Tunas.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- Together with the Minister of Agriculture, Ydael Pérez Brito, and other officials of the Ministry, Valdés Mesa also checked the implementation in the territory of the 63 measures approved by the country's leadership to boost production of food and analyzed particularities of municipal self-sufficiency.
During the exchange, the Vice President evaluated the main projections of Agriculture for the next stage and insisted on the production of taro and cassava, crops that can be prioritized l in the province, and still do not reach yields to meet the demand of the population. " Las Tunas has conditions for sowing; despite the limitations, each sowing campaign must be bigger to the previous, the planted areas must increase," he stressed.
In direct dialogue with key government agencies and agricultural representatives, the leader evaluated the implementation in the territory of the 63 referred provisions and explained that it is necessary to achieve sustainability. "These regulations are intended to revolutionize, transform and, above all, stimulate peasants to produce more food."
About the need to agree on strategies and create mechanisms to reduce the high levels of imports, the Vice President pointed out that much can be done from the local level to recover large productions. “We must eliminate what is imported and, at the same time, increase exports. All companies and production bases have to choose to sell their products abroad, the potential is great, and our goods and services in the international market can increase. The income generated in the convertible currency will allow them to acquire inputs for its better functioning, and guarantee local development,” Valdés Mesa highlighted.
The delegate of Agriculture in the territory, Yoel Martínez Vargas, presented an updated report on the fulfillment of the fundamental production indicators in the current sowing campaign of various crops. Likewise, he highlighted the new projections in the livestock program and emphasized the need to continue strengthening control over production so that food is not diverted and the per capita pounds increase, which still do not meet the demand.
Ydael Pérez Brito, minister of the sector, insisted on the need to work directly with the producer. “Our farmers have to know all the benefits of these 63 measures, their advantages, what they consist of… there are new tools and facilities that they do not yet know. In each of the municipalities, alliances should be created, working groups to explain these regulations,” he urged.
Other issues related to the current epidemiological situation were analyzed in the meeting. Valdés Mesa indicated that “work must continue so that society has a real perception of the seriousness of this pandemic. Personal responsibility has to be increased and this is understood at the community level. The institutional responsibility of our Health System is also decisive here, from the medical offices to the hospital enclaves, and only then will we be able to contain this disease,” he said.
Manuel Pérez Gallego, a member of the PCC Central Committee and first secretary in Las Tunas, assured that, in the territory, there are conditions to comply with everything analyzed. “It is clear to us that the implementation of the measures must be accelerated so that the impact is perceived; and I consider that we have sufficient capacity to reach each producer, which is the priority. The mission is to move forward and work to reliably demonstrate that we are committed to the development of the province,” he concluded.
