The digital media Cubadebate published this Friday a comprehensive report on the food industry and the search for alternatives to solve the most pressing problems.
It indicates that some of the most outstanding questions in this regard arose in the regular Cuban television program Mesa Redonda, with the intervention of the Minister of the Food Industry (Minal), Alberto López Díaz. The minister elaborated on one of the most important social responsibilities of this industry: guaranteeing the standardized family basket.
When speaking, he referred to how the current economic conditions and social challenges affect this sector. He said that Cuba is not exempt from the economic and socioeconomic complexities that the country is going through, and as an organization that has an important weight in one of the main priorities and needs of the people, it is food.
The minister said the energy situation and the fuel deficit seriously affect the operation of this industry.
He specified that this year only 48 percent of the planned fuel was received, which is equivalent to approximately three thousand tons per month. Of these, 200 tons were dedicated only to the collection and distribution of fluid milk weekly (this means that they used 800 tons of fuel per month for this fundamental activity).
According to López Díaz, another crucial activity is the production and distribution of wheat flour for basic basket bread, which is also affected.
In this regard, he pointed out that currently, wheat flour is only produced in Havana and they moved it from Pinar del Río to Guantánamo, covering all the distribution networks in the municipalities of the country.
Likewise, he said, the island faces a financing deficit in convertible currencies. He pointed out that the country has two fundamental sources of raw materials: endogenous productions, which include agricultural products, milk, fruits for the canning industry, beef and pork, and imports, such as powdered milk and wheat, which are essential.
He stressed that the decrease in exports and the tightening of the blockade (economic, financial and commercial pressures from the United States), with a marked financial persecution, also have a negative impact on food results.
In his extensive presentation, he pointed out that last year, out of 22 selected productions, there was a decrease in 20, and this year there was no decrease in any of them, although there was a slight growth in seven of those 22 productions, such as beer, tomato paste, aquaculture, although it is still insufficient for the country’s needs.
He said the financing deficit is one of the factors that hits hardest: of the 43 millions planned for the purchase of raw materials, spare parts, bread production, maintenance and repair of the boilers in the dairy factory, only seven million could be granted, which represents nine percent of the total planned.
He gave an example in the sense that five essential products are those for which the Government has absolute responsibility (powdered milk for children and the diets of pregnant women, chicken, oil, soy yogurt and bread).
Monthly, the Government must dedicate over 33 million dollars to guarantee these five products. This means that approximately 1.1 million dollars are needed daily to ensure their availability.
He explained that Cuba needs 1,800 million dollars a month of powdered milk to guarantee the feeding of children, special diets and pregnant women, just for the family basket.
This represents a cost of 8.5 million dollars a month, just for powdered milk. He stressed that this year there are some delays, and although they defend the feeding of children from zero to two years as a priority age group, powdered milk could not be guaranteed for children from two to six years in the provinces that receive it.
In closing, he stated that among the priorities of the Minal for the end of the year and thinking about 2025 is the design of a plan to respond to the standardized family basket and thus contribute to the well-being of society.
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