Cuban Vice-President evaluates rice production and preparations for the harvest in Matanzas (+audio and photos).

Salvador Valdés Mesa learned about the repair of the Jesús Sablón Moreno mill, scheduled to start up next December 13th. This industry in Calimete will be the only one to mill in the coming harvest in Matanzas.

The member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Party and vice president of Cuba, Salvador Valdés Mesa, exchanged with 20 rice producers and directors of the Matanzas Agroindustrial Grain Company to evaluate the progress of rice sowing and production.

The farmers and cooperative members raised with the Cuban leader some issues that affect planting and marketing, such as the lack of cash to pay the workers, the poor condition of the roads and the need for more fuel and lubricants.

The first secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Party, Mario Sabines Lorenzo, explained to the producers that together with the directors of the banks they are seeking to prioritize a level of cash to be able to pay and also to unblock some issues such as the impossibility of direct payment of the accounts of the producers to the magnetic cards of the workers.

At the meeting it was reported that the rice growers did not comply with the planting plan for the cold season, which amounted to 1,500 hectares, of which 557 were planted. The damage to the floodgates of the diversion of the dam and to the transformer bank of the Amarillas rice pole had an impact on the result.

The province produces 3,300 tons of rice for the basic food basket and social consumption, 1,000 tons less than expected.Salvador Valdés Mesa learned about the repair of the Jesús Sablón Moreno mill, scheduled to start up on December 13th.This industry of Calimete will be the only one to mill in the coming harvest in the province of Matanzas. The preparations are behind schedule.

«Here we have to check it, help them and the plant has to be put right and then look for the necessary and qualified labor force to operate well, because if we do not have the right one, they will break it. It has to be a qualified work force, take care of them and demand more performance from them. Avoid shutdowns due to operational problems», said the Vice President of Cuba.

…ONLINE AUDIO

The industry collective did not comply with the production of sugar in the previous campaign, mainly due to the lack of fuel. In a tour of the production units, the Cuban leader appreciated the sowing and the existence of enough sugar cane to grind during the campaign.

Photos by the Author

Written by Pedro Rizo.