What is the agriculture like in Cuba?

Apart from sugarcane, the chief crops are rice (the main source of calories in the traditional diet), citrus fruits (which are also an important export), potatoes, plantains and bananas, cassava (manioc), tomatoes, and corn (maize).

Does Cuba have good land for farming?

Agriculture in Cuba has played an important part in the economy for several hundred years. Today, it contributes less than 10% to the gross domestic product (GDP), but it employs about 20% of the working population. About 30% of the country’s land is used for crop cultivation.

What are the encouraging aspects of Cuba’s agricultural practices?

Cuba has transformed its agriculture from a low productivity, highly subsidized, high input system to one that is more productive and greener, while removing subsidies. Urban agriculture, land reform, market reforms, and a complete reorientation of the university system all feature prominently in the policy reforms.

What is Cuba’s main agricultural product?

sugarcane
Cuba’s principal crop and most valuable export is sugarcane: raw sugar is its first export, distilled alcohol — made from sugar — its third, and refined sugar its fourth. Tobacco products, honey, coffee, and, to a lesser extent, juice concentrate round out its list of top ten most valuable export products.

What kind of Agriculture is there in Cuba?

Cuban Agriculture & Farming. As you drive around Cuba, you’ll see fields of sugarcane, tobacco, and corn spread into the distance. Despite the scenic appearance, Cuba has long struggled with its agricultural production. For decades, huge portions of the island have lay fallow, and to this day the country imports the majority of its food.

How did the Cuban government change the farming system?

In 1993, the government started to change its ways and decentralize the management of the country’s farms. It created independent co-ops that farmed government land but were allowed to own their crop — even so, the crop was still sold to the state at a fixed price.

Why did Cuba change the way food was distributed?

This was the first move to lift the state’s monopoly on food distribution. Due to the shortage in artificial fertilizers and pesticides, Cuba’s agricultural sector largely turned organic, with the Organopónicos playing a major role in this transition.

Where are the sugar cane plantations in Cuba?

Over 3 million acres that were once devoted to sugar were converted to growing other crops. In the Valle de los Ingenios, which is located just outside Trinidad, you can visit several old sugar plantations. You can explore the estate houses where the owners lived and see the tools that were used to keep the mills running.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEHCRnWUQ_4