Valdés Mesa: Rice is the Key to Cuban Diet Amidst Food Crisis

On Sunday, Salvador Valdés Mesa, Vice President of the Republic of Cuba, made a visit to Pinar del Río province to assess the status of the rice production program. This initiative has become a primary concern for the government amidst the severe food crisis plaguing the nation.

During his visit to the Agroindustrial Grain Company in Los Palacios, the fourth-largest rice-producing region on the island, Valdés Mesa emphasized the importance of expanding cultivation areas and improving rice yields. His remarks on Tele Pinar surprised many viewers as he acknowledged rice as a staple in the Cuban diet due to its high demand nationwide.

"The biggest incentive for growing rice in this country is the high demand we have for it. We eat it morning and evening. Other foods accompany the rice—protein, fruit, root vegetables, and greens complement it," Valdés Mesa stated.

Over the past 15 years, the Cuban regime has increasingly relied on importing rice, a situation that has worsened recently. The government has had to depend on donations and allocate hard currency to secure rice purchases on the international market, where prices have risen significantly.

In light of this, Valdés Mesa stressed the need to boost local production and reduce reliance on imports. "We consume rice day and night, and it is the largest expense in our importation efforts to supply the government-regulated family basket. Therefore, we must genuinely put our hearts into shortening these timelines. We can do it. We have the land, water, and infrastructure. What do we lack? Currency," the Vice President pointed out.

Valdés Mesa's "revelations" in Pinar del Río highlighted that rice is the primary dish for Cuban families, and the regime's fundamental shortfall is foreign currency (except for building hotels and infrastructure for international tourism).

To produce rice, the use of foreign currency is necessary. However, according to the Vice President, "to have currency, more exports are needed." But what can the country export to secure the currency needed to increase rice production? It seems Valdés Mesa's strategy to transform this vicious cycle into a "virtuous circle" is to export... rice. "The country needs to export and shift from an import-oriented culture to an export-oriented one," he told the farmers amidst the rice fields.

Valdés Mesa also addressed the economic crisis affecting Cubans, particularly highlighting the inadequacy of wages and pensions against rising prices. "Our retirees have an average pension of 1,525 pesos. You can't live on that; you can't live on an average salary of 5,000 pesos, or even 6,000 pesos... Not according to today's prices," he admitted.

Despite the grim scenario, Valdés Mesa maintained that the government aims to boost the rice program starting in 2025, as part of a broader strategy to counter the food crisis. His optimism contrasts with official figures. According to the 2023 Statistical Yearbook of Cuba, the rice sector experienced a 59.1% decline that year compared to 2022.

Recently, the Cuban government announced an agreement with Vietnam to allocate land for rice production on the island, a move criticized for failing to ensure the country's own food sovereignty. However, production figures and the lack of concrete incentives for the agricultural sector raise questions about the feasibility of this goal.

Longstanding Food Crisis and Unfulfilled Promises

Valdés Mesa's statements come amid a food crisis that has driven the Cuban government to repeatedly call for increased agricultural production. Since 2018, the Vice President has stressed the need for Cuba to "live off what it produces," though the results have been a complete failure. He has repeatedly urged farmers to cultivate alternative crops like cassava and to "be efficient" in managing agricultural resources.

Over the years, Valdés Mesa has acknowledged that the Cuban economy lacks sufficient foreign currency to ensure stable food imports and has advocated for savings policies to lower prices. However, his calls have clashed with the reality of a country where inflation and shortages have been on the rise.

In this context, the government has organized imports to try to stabilize the market, but the lack of resources and an effective agricultural policy has complicated the situation. In 2021, Valdés Mesa stated that "producers are owed, and they must be paid," a problem that remains and directly affects farmers' willingness to increase local production.