Fruitful Rice Seeds Project in Cuba

Havana, Jul 10. – A program for strengthening the seed production of high quality rice, part of the Cuba-Japan collaboration, is now in the final stage of implementation in the Caribbean island, with good results.

Funded by the International Cooperation Agency of Japan, the project is being developed since 2008 in the provinces of Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila and Camagüey.

These areas account for almost half of the national harvest of rice, a staple diet for Cubans.

According to the industry leaders, this initiative seeks to increase rice production with the optimal use of seeds by workers in the cooperative and peasant sectors.

The head of the improvement program explained that the project began with the identification of the varieties in highest demand and the selection of five of them.

Ricardo Sedano, a Camaguey farmer of the Cooperative of Credit and Service Sergio Gonzalez, described as satisfactory the results thanks to the advice of the experimental station located in the municipality of Vertientes.(Prensa Latina)