-DATE-
19870515
-YEAR-
1987
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
REPORT
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
PRENSA LATINA REPORTS CASTRO'S ANAP REMARKS
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA PRENSA LATINA
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19870520
-TEXT-
PRESNA LATINA REPORTS CASTRO'S ANAP REMARKS

PA152024 Havana PRESNA LATINA in Spanish 1939 GMT 15 May 87 -- FOR OFFICIAL
USE ONLY

[Text] Havana, 15 May (PL) -- President Fidel Castro today reiterated his
conviction that the life expectancy of the Cuban population might soon
increased to 80 years as a result of current health programs.

The Cuban leader is attending the Seventh National Association of Small
Farmers [Asociacion Nacional de Agricultores Pequenos] (ANAP) Congress,
during the opening session of which he urged the peasants grouped in that
organization to seriously think about the problems that could prevent the
development of higher forms of agricultural production.  In this regard, he
said that the results and effectiveness of the measures adopted in May 1986
during the second meeting of the Agricultural-Livestock Cooperatives (CPA)
must be analyzed.

Fidel Castro noted that the peasants own their land (these days mark the
28th anniversary of the Agrarian Reform Law), do not pay taxes, and, like
the rest of the Cuban population, have increased their life expectancy from
54 to more than 74 years in the last 2 decades.

He reiterated his confidence that with the correct implementation of the
health programs, which include the plan of one doctor for approximately 600
people, and campaigns against smoking and a lack of exercise, Cubans will
increase their life expectancy to 80 years in the next decade.

One of the most debated topics was the incorrect application of the decree
which in 1983 put into effect social security for cooperative members.  The
lack of regulations in implementing that law produced a heavy imbalance
between the contribution of the state and the cooperatives for retirements.

The development and consolidation of the cooperative movement as well as
the profitability and productivity of the CPA are other aspects that are
being debated on the 1st day of the ANAP Congress, which is scheduled to
close on Sunday.

The ANAP groups more than 180,000 peasants throughout the country who work
the land in the CPA, in credit and service cooperatives or as individual
farmers.
-END-