-DATE-
19750122
-YEAR-
1975
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
REPORT
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
DROUGHT HAS CAUSED 800,00 TON SUGAR HARVEST LOSS
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA PRELA
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19750123
-TEXT-
CUBA

CASTRO: DROUGHT HAS CAUSED 800,000-TON SUGAR HARVEST LOSS

Havana PRELA in Spanish 2100 GMT 22 Jan 75 PA--FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

[Francisco Ramirez dispatch]

[Text] Havana, 22 Jan--Prime Minister Fidel Castro has pointed out that
sugar is still Cuba's most important product because growing sugar cane is
the island's most profitable business.

Castro praised the practical results achieved by Vice Prime Minister of
Foreign Relations Carlos Rafael Rodriguez during his recent visit to
France. He said that Rodriguez' dealings in Paris had been satisfactory. In
an informal chat with a group of newsmen, Castro said that wars are no
longer a solution for U.S. economic problems, as the high cost of the
Vietnam aggression demonstrated. He said that up to now, the United States
has tried to solve its economic woes by means of inflationary measures, but
that now recession has been added to inflation.

Fidel Castro expressed his satisfaction over the visit to Cuba by Mexican
Secretary of National Properties Francisco Javier Alejo, in whose honor the
Mexican Embassy offered a farewell dinner last night. He said that Alejo's
visit to Cuba has helped strengthen the ties between Cuba and Mexico, and
that the two countries had worked enthusiastically to that end. Before the
dinner, Castro spoke to newsmen about economic matters.

Castro added, "Our soil and climate are ideal for growing sugar cane and
other plants." He also said that the present harvest has been good, but
that 2 years of drought had caused production to decrease by 800,000 tons.
Castro arrived at the Mexican Embassy as Alejo was concluding a brief news
conference. Alejo condemned the U.S. foreign trade law as an attack on
Latin America and the Third World. He said the law violates many treaties,
among them the OAS Charter. He noted that Mexico will attend the proposed
American foreign ministers meeting only if Cuba is invited. The meeting is
scheduled for March in Buenos Aires.

Alejo will return to Mexico today after discussing bilateral trade
relations with the Cuban prime minister and the forming of the Latin
American economic system, which Cuba has endorsed.
-END-