In the municipality of Colombia, in the southern part of Las Tunas, the Las Mercedes production hub is gradually taking shape and, in the medium and long term, could guarantee a significant amount of the food demanded by residents in that territory.

"Colombia," Las Tunas.- The agricultural area, which is still under development, is located about five kilometers northwest of this city. In honor of the historic events of July 26, it is expected to complete 100 hectares of various crops, with an emphasis on plantains and bananas.

This important pillar of the municipal self-sufficiency program belongs to the Sugar Agro-industrial Company and, since 2021, has been transforming the environment, with a workforce of six workers and the contribution of thousands of Colombians who come there in response to various calls for help.

The development strategy for the enclave plans to increase its size and produce more food for the municipality's residents. However, to achieve this, hard work is needed because the challenges are enormous, especially the lack of fuel, which is not always available.

Nevertheless, the collective does not stop in its quest to produce food and uses animal traction for various tasks, so that when fuel is available, it is used for more complex activities such as clearing weeds or plowing land that has not been cultivated for some time.

In terms of supplies, there is a marked shortage of gloves, files, machetes, and other work tools, which complicates cultural care in different areas. The situation is better with seeds of more drought-resistant varieties, which are already in the ground.

Another limiting factor—and a decisive one—is the sustained lack of rainfall, as this area lacks technology for irrigating crops. Since these are rainfed crops, the collective applies some alternatives and ensures the moisture of the crops.

If there were better working conditions and water availability, the Las Mercedes hub would produce more food for the population, as the workers are highly motivated, as has been demonstrated since the beginning of this development area.

So far, corn, cassava, squash, and plantains have been harvested, mainly, and these crops are sold in markets and at agricultural fairs, and delivered to priority organizations such as health and education.