“This is the harvest of dignity, shame, and honor,” reiterated Osbel Lorenzo Rodríguez, First Secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), emphatically at the organization's most recent plenary meeting, where members reviewed in detail the preparations for the upcoming 2025-2026 sugar campaign.
Las Tunas, Cuba.– In his remarks, Lorenzo Rodríguez recalled the dismal results of the previous seasons; he reaffirmed that the upcoming one, scheduled to begin in the second half of January, will take place under hard conditions. He called for finding alternatives to overcome the challenges posed by the shortages resulting from current economic limitations.
Executives from Azcuba and the Antonio Guiteras Agro-Industrial Sugar Company, owner of the sugar mill of the same name —the only one with a planned production exceeding 38,000 tons of sugar—, reported on the progress of preparations and the measures being taken to replenish the workforce, which has been decimated by the intermittent nature of the harvest and the exodus of workers to other sectors, seeking stable income and better salaries.
Regarding this matter, Rafael Pantaleón Quevedo, the “Antonio Guiteras” director general, outlined the actions to recruit and train workers for key positions within the industry. The company is also seeking qualified personnel from other sugar mills to mitigate the impact on the production process.
Eddy Felipe Hechavarría, director of the Azcuba Technical Coordination and Supervision Group in the province, explained the progress of the factory repairs, following a critical path, as in previous years, in the milling and sugar production areas. These are the sites where they are concentrating their greatest efforts to begin the harvest on the aforementioned date.
The discussions also focused on the necessary sugarcane recovery, the primary foundation of the sector's recovery program. This issue also faces significant challenges due to repeated failures to meet planting plans and the discouragement producers experience of sugarcane left unharvested in their fields due to the industrial inability to process it.
The First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in Las Tunas acknowledged the objective problems facing the harvest, including issues related to fuel, lubricants, energy shortages, and the poor condition of the sugarcane roads. However, he urged everyone to confront these challenges with the fighting spirit that has always characterized the working class in the Cuban sugar sector.
The political leader cited persistent subjective problems such as underutilization of the workday and other forms of indiscipline, and called for the rational and optimal use of the resources that the country, despite the difficulties, allocates to the sugar harvest. He also called for increased vigilance to prevent crimes against this asset, emphasizing the crucial role of administrative offices and organizations within the Young Communist League (UJC), the Party, and the union across all productive sectors.
The Plenary Session assessed issues related to the territorial economic and social development strategy and urged the full utilization of opportunities presented by projects and the execution of their budgets. It also reviewed the Executive Bureau's report to the Provincial Committee, provided information on recent cadre movements in the municipalities, outlined work priorities for 2026, and recognized the heroism of the working class and the people.