During a visit to the province of Artemisa, Party Second Secretary José Ramón Machado Ventura interacted with farmers and agricultural leaders

Artemisa. – Cultivating every piece of fertile land with optimal soil preparation, quality seeds, and precise attention must be a premise for producers in the province of Artemisa, insisted José Ramón Machado Ventura, second secretary of the Party Central Committee, during an exchange with farmers and agricultural leaders here.

In the municipality of Güira de Melena, where the tour began, he emphasized the importance of using biological means to control weeds and pests, as the financial situation of the country and the U.S. blockade make the purchase of pesticides abroad difficult.

During his visit to the Entomophage/Entomopathogens Reproduction Center here, he learned of increasingly acceptance of these biological pesticides in the municipality, which saves the country significant resources.

José Alfredo Ramos, phytosanitary expert, noted that today in Güira de Melena, 5.2 kilograms of biological substances are used for every kilogram of chemical pesticides, and efforts continue to develop products for export.At the agricultural production cooperative of (CPA) Héroes de Yaguajay, in Alquízar, Machado noted the cassava, papaya and sweet potato fields, very productive and practically weed-free, as a result of efficient use of the few chemical products available.

He was accompanied by Gladys Martínez Verdecia, a member of the Central Committee and first secretary of the Party in Artemisa; leaders of the Provincial Administration, municipal committees of the Party, and the Ministry of Agriculture in each locality visited.