Obtaining food in great demand from the population, such as meat, milk and eggs is the goal of the almost 1,200 members of the Cuban Association of Animal Production (ACPA) subsidiary in the province of Las Tunas, an organization that this January 31 marks its 47th birthday.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- Most of these men and women are linked to the state production units or they are landowners or usufructuaries, in which they raise different species, they do correct management of the herds, genetic improvement and implement alternatives for the nutrition of the specimens.
The M.Sc. Yanelis Garcés Franco, president of ACPA in the territory, reported that there are currently 12 societies with 114 grassroots bodies, distributed in the eight municipalities of Las Tunas and that their work is evidenced in the results of livestock.
The Association has among its priorities the scientific advice, the generalization of experiences, the systematic exchange between producers and several actions of improvement coordinated with the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) and the University of Las Tunas, fundamentally.
"The year 2020 was very intense in our work to fulfill those purposes - Garcés Franco emphasized - because a difficult period due to the shortage of medicines, feed, and other inputs was added to the need to increase yields due to the crisis that generated the COVID-19 pandemic.
"However, the organization contributed to the development plans for the units, the promotion of new technologies, and the training of different specialties such as inseminators, physiopatologists and andrologists.
"The ACPA also influenced the fostering of the Municipal Self-sufficiency Program and the creation of livestock modules with various species, generally poultry, small livestock and pigs, while prioritizing attention to women producers."
These actions, the collective training and the experiences transmitted from generation to generation constitute a source of motivation for the children and young people of the territory to, in the future, transform the current scenario and guarantee sustainable productions.
"We donated to the Palace of Pioneers a module of technical materials to contribute to vocational training for agricultural majors; we serve university students and participate in the instruction of Medium Level Veterinary technicians."
The organization gives special priority to the raising of rabbits, birds and fish in family yards because they are fast and safe sources of protein, in addition to the sowing of different types of protein and forage plants for feeding all species.
On January 31, 1974, the ACPA was created to break the isolation that the United States Government imposed on the scientific branch of Cuba. Little by little it spread and today encompasses several branches that make up their societies: Dairy, Meat, Buffalo, Equidos, Pigs, Poultry, Sheep, Rabbit, Aquaculture, Pastures, Beekeeping and Rodeo Cowboys.
