Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC

-DATE-
19880707
-YEAR-
1988
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
REMARKS
-AUTHOR-
F.CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO VIEWS AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA RADIO RELOJ
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19880712
-TEXT-
Agriculture Production Viewed

FL0707214188 Havana Radio Reloj Network in Spanish 1932 GMT 7 Jul 88

[Text] During the extensive analysis of agricultural production, Commander
in Chief Fidel Castro called it an unfortunate day when the so-called
peasant free market was introduced into the country.  He said the correct
thing to do is find socialist solutions to our problems.

He recalled that the market held back the increase of cooperatives and also
blocked the application of science and technology.  Fidel stressed it was
an error in these capitalist-style relations to let the peasants cultivate
what agriculture did not produce.  Today, said Fidel, we have programs for
thousands of caballerias of tubers and vegetables.  If we have an excess of
crops, he said, we export them to socialist countries or we send them to
the factories that produce liquid animal feed. This is the road, stressed
the commander in chief.  He also stressed the responsibility of agriculture
in supplying quantities and varieties of products to the population.

During the analysis of the results in the accounting and production systems
of Havana diversified crops enterprises, Fidel stressed it is important
that agriculture guarantee a variety of products.  He noted the results of
the June tomato harvest and the outlook for July, when it is expected more
than 80,000 quintals will be harvested.  The commander in chief stressed
the need for new varieties of crops that are resistant to adverse weather
during certain times of the year.

Fidel then expressed interest in the production of hydroponic goods so that
crops that are popular among the population, such as tomatoes, can be
guaranteed all year long.  The leader of the revolution noted the
importance of technology and the new varieties of hydroponic crops in
agriculture.  He said that the current production plans are not
sufficiently ambitious.

Santiago de Cuba Province is raising hydroponic crops and this year they
will have 50 units with an extension of 50 hectares of land, said Estaban
Lazo Hernandez in Havana.  When questioned by Fidel, the first secretary of
the party in this province described the different crops they are growing
to guarantee vegetables for the people of Santiago de Cuba.

Fidel said that we should use land optimally, taking differences into
account, and we should develop hydroponics in Santiago de Cuba because
they are a good alternative and produce more than traditional crops.

In reference to this topic, Jorge Lezcano, first party secretary in Havana,
said that the principal difficulties in the capital have been the lack of
resources and the concentration of agricultural means.
-END-


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