The failure of food policies, with a year without water in several localities and the collapse of the sugar crop are the most critical points
14ymedio, Havana, 13 June 2024 — On July 18, the government of Villa Clara will present to the National Assembly its 2023 management report, and so far this year, it will not delight the state leadership. The failure of food policies, with a year without water in several locations and the collapse of the sugar crop are the most critical points in the province. The officials, however, have said from the beginning that it is not their fault, but the “complex stage from the economic and social point of view” has affected them.
Among the sectors analyzed, food is the one that has hit bottom the hardest, and the problem starts in the fields. In 2023, only 46% of the land dedicated to food was planted, and the demand for fertilizers to meet the plan was covered by only 32%. In the plots for animal consumption, the planting covered only 62% of the hectares destined for these crops.
As a result, livestock and the breeding of free-range animals also suffered last year. The province’s milk plan achieved 21 million liters in 2023 and 1.3 million in the first quarter of 2024. In those same periods, the delivery of beef was, respectively, 66% and 109%; the higher numbers reflects figures that coincide with the livestock census and the ban on selling animals.
“The non-compliances are due to the (poor) quality of the feed, the aging of the laying hens and the delay in moving the flock”
Egg production did not reach what was planned either, and last year only 78.9% of the amount planned was collected. The data, however, are not surprising considering that the malnutrition of chickens was news at the end of that year in the official press. In the first months of 2024, however, the figure is even more alarming, since the debt was 4,581,400 units. “The non-compliances are due to the (poor) quality of the feed, the aging of the laying hens and the delay in moving the flock,” the document admits. The provincial fishing industry also closed last year with a debt of 40%, and this year the debt is already at 42.2%.
The report closes the food section with a disturbing fact: “In the sugar harvest, out of a plan of 58,811 tons, 21,760 were achieved, or 37% ; in the planting work of 5,286 hectares, only 975 have been sown,” so the next campaign is not guaranteed either.
Another key sector, water, exhibits indicators “distant from what is desired and from the real needs of our population,” the authorities explain. Even with investments at 100%, about 30% of the population does not have domestic service and 38% do not have sewers. “The situation of water supply and waste treatment is not favorable,” it adds, especially in Santa Clara – where the cycles exceed 90 days – and in the town of Mataguá, in Manicaragua, where it’s now 355 days. The worst situation, however, is that of Güinía de Miranda, where the breakage of the hydraulic pump completely stopped the service.
Another key sector, water, exhibits indicators “distant from what is desired and from the real needs of our population”
The supply of tanker trucks is not a viable alternative either, they recognize, because in some cases the frequency of supply exceeds 180 days. As for housing, in 2023, 269 “basic housing cells” of the 653 projected were built by the State. Of these, 48 are finished but are not habitable due to the lack of electrical service.
Until this April, public transport in the province decreased its number of trips by 27% and the number of passengers it moves by 34.3%. Of the 221 routes, only those between 48 and 71 continue to operate, depending on the parts and the fuel. Of the roads and railways, “only 27.8% are in good condition.”
Another critical point is crime, especially in the fields. In 2023, 50.5% of the 22,055 criminal acts recorded – an increase of 2,142 compared to 2022 – were against livestock. This was followed by “other thefts and violent robberies.” These three “modalities” account for 80.7% of the crime in the province. There were also 100 ration store robberies in 2023, a decrease from the 176 in 2022.
Unlike other sectors, whose problems were left pending solutions or with mere suggestions, the government of Villa Clara has a clear strategy to combat, not crime, but its perception by the residents of the province. “There has been a significant impact on the people of the dissemination of the results of the confrontations, with emphasis on social networks of institutional and personal profiles of cadres, of the local organs of the People’s Power and on the so-called ’People’s Force’,” the report states.
The list of management failures continues, but it is clear that the authorities know very well what prevents the territory from advancing
The list of management failures continues, but it is clear that the authorities know very well what prevents the territory from advancing. In the case of the state sector, where 17 companies closed 2023 with losses, the deficit of inputs and raw materials, the shortage of fuel, the inflated workforce and the “centralized prices” are the biggest burden for the local economy, which is a reflection of other territories and of the entire country.
Only exports, a sector that the regime prioritizes for its opportunity to raise foreign currency, remain afloat. Although the report does not break down the services and products, the 2023 plan was fulfilled by 106.7% with 1,575 million pesos raised, and by 126% in the first quarter of this year, with 487 million.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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