Farmer Leader Calls for Increasing Sales to International Tourist Sector

HAVANA, Cuba, Aug 1.- Cooperative farms and private farmers are not yet using their full capacities to sell their produce to the tourist sector, while only 45 out of 171 co-ops are steadily meeting their compromises with the program.

The appropriate fulfillment of contracts has been the main difficulty in the effort over the past eight months, according to the National Small Famers
Association (ANAP).

ANAP president Orlando Lugo recently told reporters that some irregularities hindering the economic activity include inappropriate drawing of contracts with undefined delivery terms, plus difficulties faced with the transportation and packing of produce.

The sales of agricultural products to the international tourist sector came in as an agreement reached in the latest congress of the farmers’ organization; however this initiative requires better preparation and training of cooperative leaders to achieve a high-quality and efficient operation, Lugo said.

The farmer leader referred to a cooperative in the province of Mayabeque, which has achieved a stable delivery of fresh produce to four major Havana hotels.

Agriculture Ministry statistics say that the initiative translated into over 30 million convertible pesos (more than 30 million dollars) over the past eight  months since the farmer organizations began selling their produce to the tourist sector. (Radio Cadena Agramonte).