For more than 15 years, agricultural production has been Alquizar economy´s support . With more than 6000 hectares of productive land, the task is hard to get the most out of them, in order to supply its inhabitants, Artemisa province, Havana and the country.

Despite setbacks due to fuel deficit, efforts continue so that crops are not affected, especially cold season plantin , which began in September.

“We have enough food, but those foods are the result of previous months; the crops of the land that we till are for the future, and it is necessary that they are not lost ”, says Pedro Miguel García, director of the Agricultural Company in Alquízar.

“Lack of fuel affects agriculture very much, more to our municipality, a large food producer highly mechanized, where animal traction as an alternative is not enough.

“We have consumed 14% of the planned fuel for the month, and we will close the week with 25. It affects us, but we have taken measures: depending on the immediate daily work of each cooperative, the fuel is delivered to them, and these ones to its producers. Not enough; however, crops are still producing . ”

Hindrances and choices

Current harvest is large, especially sweet potato, cassava, malanga, banana fruit, pumpkin and vegetables in multiple varieties, such as tomato, pepper, cucumber and cabbage. “We are limited due packaging shortage, polyethylene bags, but we have tried to distribute them by priority. For a demand of 65,000 bags, we have only received 11,000; this happened three months ago.

“There are obstacles … and choices too. Production has not stopped and will not. This month our company even managed to over-fulfill its planting plan: from 390 hectares we reached 479, 122.7% ”, adds Lázaro René García, deputy director of the Agricultural Company.

"The company's production management, regulates offers for the municipality self-supply in the State Agricultural Market (MAE) and in Sunday fairs, in addition to deliveries to Havana," says Yaymel García, director of Technical and Development of the company and production head.

Most of the production of these lands lies in the suburban agriculture farms of four Producction Cooperatives(CPAs) and seven Credict and Service Cooperative( CCS), although the two state farms have their role. Also, nurseries in urban agriculture produce for MAE. In July self-supply in Alquízar had rates of 21.98 pounds per capita, 26.26 in August and 25.3 in September.

During the week this market remains well stocked, with products corresponding to the harvest season, both food and vegetables, some benefited and others not, in addition to how much the Company's mini-industry produces : jam, marinade, garlic paste, vinegar , dry wine, sweets in syrup and meats (bacon, salami, ham, chickens ...). We can be lack of vegetables.

Carlos Alberto Castro, chief of warehouse and brigade of the MAE, explains that “as soon as the merchandise is reduced, due to the high level of daily consumption, our buyer goes out to look for them where we have agreements. We almost always have 10 to 15 products. The yea plan amounts to one million 600,000 pesos, and we are already for one million 300 726.

“Last month we overfulfilled the plan in about 79,000 pesos. We offer what we can; We even prepare food at affordable prices. Now we only make stews, because we lacked rice; the rest is stored until we get cereal, we will start preparing lunch. Ah, we have juices, wine, everything a bit to satisfy customer. Here we sell 10,000 to 15,000 pesos a day. ”
Protagonism of ... all
“In addition to marketing, the Urban Farm is in charge of supplying the Maternity home, Erderly ' house, schools and day care centers . However, cooperatives such as Heroes de Yaguajay and Abel Santamaría pay taxes directly to several of these entities ”, says agronomist Yaymel García, head of production of the Agricultural Company.

In the middle of the difficulties, the priority is to avoid breaking the soil preparation sequences in cold season, so that next planting matches crop season and food volumes of the first months of the year are not missing.

“Our company expects to plant 340 hectares of imported potatoes this year. We are one of the largest producers of this crop in the country, and we have to prove it. The grounds are being prepared . ”

In Farmer 151 in CPA Amistad Cuba-Mexico CPA, with an electric irrigation system (FREGAT), they are already in the landslide. According to Cándido Ramón, vice president of the CPA, at the end of last week they would start the harrow with the choppers.

“In mid-December we will begin planting our 82.53 hectares; It depends on the weather and the fuel we have. We assume it will be the imported EVEREST, which is easily given, but still requires care. ”

“In mid-December we will begin planting our 82.53 hectares; it depends on the weather and the fuel available. We suppose it will be the imported EVEREST, which is easily planted , but it still requires care. ”

In farmer 43 they harvest beans for November, corn to replace imports and malanga. Francisco Núñez, head of this farm , has worked in the cooperative for 15 years and all his life in the field, showed us the care with planting. "If something goes wrong, in the least, whole months of hard work are gone away ," Francisco says.

“Our bean plan to replace imports covers 310 hectares in September. Of 187 planned, we sow 203 of CUL 156 variety for December. In October we expect to plant 112, and in November 10 more, ”says Yaymel García.

“We have analyzed how to protect crops and advance production, in order to effectively self-supply the municipality, enough for our population,” said Pedro Miguel García, director of the Agricultural Company. "Even food that does not qualify for public offering, we use for animal consumption in pig farms or liquid feed factories in the province, when they need it, all organized and economically feasible."

In such fertile grounds , dreaming about self-supply is not a utopia but a perfectly possible goal. Precisely Alquízar grounds are the most irrigated with the sweat of good peasants, those able to show that man can get as much as he wants from the ground.

TRANSLATION BY LMMS