A decade of progress for small-scale farmers in Cuba
Marking ten years in Cuba, IFADs Country Director met small-scale farmers and partners to discuss progress made and what is yet to be done
BY JUAN DIEGO RUIZ CUMPLIDO
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
In central Cubas Camagüey province, the tropical sun is scorching. Its the afternoon and weve been on the road since early morning and were starting to feel tired when we arrive to the cattle ranch of La Kintina.
As we pull up, I spot some fifty healthy cows in a corral and, beyond them, a shed with a modern electric milking machine and a refrigeration tank. Ten years ago, this equipment would have been hard to come by in these parts. But now, this ranch and 105 other organizations in Camagüey are making big progresses in the production of milk and beef thanks to IFADs PRODEGAN project, which aims to strengthen the livestock sector.
In their colourful guajiros (Cuban farmers) language, the owners of the ranch, Yunaixi Morales and Abdiel Campo, tell us how they love their work and how the project has helped them get through difficult timesincluding during the pandemic when basic inputs like fertilizers and medicines for the animals became harder to find.
But now, not only is the ranch surviving, its making enormous progress. Last year, 30 calves were born. This year, 25 have been born already, and its only June, explains Abdiel.
More:
https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/-/a-decade-of-progress-for-small-scale-farmers-in-cuba