His name is Fidel and his name stimulates him as much as the oxygen he breathes or the food that nourishes his 47-year-old body, accustomed to working since the sun rises on his farm in the community of Vedado 3, in the municipality of Jesús Menéndez.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- Fidel Yuri Jorge Zaldívar, a member of the Reytel Jorge Velázquez credit and services cooperative (CCS by its acronym in Spanish), dedicates almost all his time to producing food for the people and is the best tribute he can pay to the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz.
"I have been working in agriculture for more than 29 years, especially in the cultivation of grains. I did a mid-level technician's degree in veterinary medicine, but I loved the agricultural branch and I passed this on to my son, who also likes working in the fields."
"He is a Physical Education teacher and now he is doing his military service. When he gets a pass, he helps me with all these tasks, which are sometimes easy, but sometimes they become complex due to the lack of fuel and other resources."
Fidel likes what he does and for doing it well he has received many awards, such as the status of municipal and provincial vanguard of the National Association of Small Farmers and the Romárico Cordero medal awarded to outstanding farmers.
"I have my usufruct land. I plant maize and sweet potatoes. Now I would like to plant cassava because we have to produce food, but the cane fields are not available. There are other crops, for family consumption and to help other people in need."
"I also have four cows and a team of oxen that I call my tractor. However, it is not enough for me to prepare all the land. Luckily, the CCS helps with fuel and I have everything ready. All I need is the second pass of the chopper."
"I also raise a lot of poultry and I leave some of the maize I harvest for them. The other part I give to the cooperative. There are some pigs for the house and with that, we cover our food and that of the family."
In the northern territory, there is no end to the drought, and although many wells remain dry or with little water reserves, Fidel's is a blessing that allows him to water his plants systematically and, consequently, to have better yields.
"The truth is that my well is very good and guarantees me irrigation all year round. I benefited from an oil irrigation system by the Rural Cooperative Development Project in the Eastern Region, Prodecor, and I have a turbine, which I use during peak hours."
"Right now I'm not worried about water. The difficult thing is that there is no workforce. Young men don't want to and there is no money to be paid to attract them. They are simply not interested in working. I manage this land with my family and some retired people who are interested."
"When harvesting the crops, there is a risk of losing them if it rains and those who are hired can't keep up. It is a risk I live with because I am not going to stop producing. It is what I have done for the last 30 years of my life and it is the goal for the rest of my life."
This 13 August, Fidel remembers the invincible Commander for whom he is named and in his memory ratifies his commitment to devote himself body and soul to growing food. He learned a lot from him, especially how to show solidarity with others.
"I always share what I have. First of all, I give of myself to keep other people alive, because I have been a blood donor for years. And the other thing is that I often donate food and vegetables to various health and educational institutions."
