A Cuban farmer has denounced the poor conditions in which the agricultural sector operates, marked by a severe shortage of resources and exploitation by the management, whom he criticized for living "on lies." "Here, the bosses do nothing but lie to us and keep an eye on our production so they can keep scrutinizing us," the farmer told the independent media outlet ADN Cuba.
The Cuban farmer pointed out that the bosses spend their time in offices, without bothering to get close to the field workers. "They don't know what you have here. The farmer decided to push this forward, but if we don't have any bosses, how are we going to achieve it?" he asserted, emphasizing the need for autonomy in their work.
He assured that he delivers his produce "to all the entities," although he faces significant daily challenges, such as getting a tractor to plow the land. "You have to get a tractor from another municipality to come and prepare the land, and they just keep lying to you," he complained.
Among his commitments, he listed that he supplies products to pregnant women, the daycare center, the rehabilitation room, the secondary school, and also the Basic Cooperative Production Unit (UBPC), "but no one supports you; all they do is make your life difficult," he said emphatically.
The man reiterated that authorities need to go to the fields, not stay in the office. "So when you have something, they keep an eye on you, but they don't know where anything came from... Here, we work day and night" to achieve production, he assured, in a kind of plea for his message to reach President Miguel Díaz-Canel.
He also mentioned that the payments for their productions are very low. "The payment is very, very low," repeated another farmer in the clip. "And sometimes they pressure you to sell meat to the slaughterhouse. But it doesn't add up for me. Because if I want to change a production, I have to sell. Then to buy a goat, and the ovine caprine are more expensive, it costs me more. So in that part, they always affect us; it's better to sell to a private buyer, it has results," he concluded.
Last July, a farmer from Pinar del Río went viral with some verses denouncing the regime's lies, recounting what happened during a visit by Díaz-Canel to his province. The man conveyed in a very original way what happens when high-ranking officials visit towns and municipalities in the interior, where authorities do anything to fake the truth.
In a video shared on TikTok by user Ariel Fuentes, the man detailed that when Díaz-Canel went to Viñales, the local government did everything to hide the crisis, from painting royal palms to bringing in cows from another territory to showcase "their cattle raising."
After the governmental visit, the hardship and scarcity return to people's lives without any embellishments. The insensitivity of the leaders towards the work of the farmers is such that in a meeting of the Agro-Food Commission of the Cuban Parliament in mid-July, a report from the Ministry of Agriculture (Minag) was analyzed, showing that the entity owes nearly 200 million pesos to the country's farmers, a situation that has generated criticism in the agricultural sector.
The government's management of the agricultural sector is among the worst in Cuba's history. The country requires a thorough review and effective measures to settle debts and improve production, thus guaranteeing the basic sustenance of the Cuban population.
Key Issues in Cuban Agriculture
As the agricultural sector in Cuba faces significant challenges, here are some frequently asked questions to provide further insight into the current situation.
What are the main challenges faced by Cuban farmers?
Cuban farmers face a severe shortage of resources, lack of support from management, and very low payments for their productions.
How do authorities in Cuba handle the agricultural sector?
Authorities often spend their time in offices and do not engage with field workers. There is also a tendency to fake the reality during high-ranking officials' visits to show better conditions.
What measures are needed to improve the agricultural sector in Cuba?
Cuba requires a thorough review of the agricultural sector, settling debts, and implementing effective measures to improve production and support farmers.