Urban Agriculture, Essential in the Production of Vegetables
- Written by Carlos García / Radio Banes
- Published in Holguin
- Hits: 1323
The Guidelines of the Economic and Social Policy of the Party and the Revolution, approved in 2011, take into account the need to prioritize, in short term, the substitution of imports of those foods that can be produced in Cuba, since the country invests each year around 2 billion dollars in 80 percent of the products for consumption.
In this way, the document highlights the need to give greater importance to the program of urban agriculture, an experience that, the document points out, should be extended to all of Cuba.
The commitment is to improve the productive potential of each locality, always in harmony with the urban environment, preserving biodiversity, taking care of the fertility of the soils and promoting food security, based on principles of sustainability and gender equity.
In this regard, the municipality of Banes is still far from reaching 30 kilograms of fresh vegetables per month per inhabitant.
Many are the difficulties in this scenario to improve the food balance of the population in a municipality that does not have a solid and integrated coverage of the system of urban agriculture that contribute in a sustained manner to this program.
On the other hand, the number of areas in the municipality dedicated to this activity is insufficient, which, although they have high productivity, can not reach more than 60 tons per month needed by the territory for the distribution set for the population and other consumptions.
Another problem affecting the program of urban agriculture in Banes today is the lack of irrigation systems, for which some 60 systems have already begun to be installed.
The system of agriculture in the territory needs that the production of vegetables, seasonings and fresh vegetables take a leap forward before the growing demands of the population.
The results achieved in 2018 were deficient, a situation that should be reversed this year, in which urban agriculture continues to be a priority for territorial self-sufficiency.
