A decade of progress for small-scale farmers in Cuba
Marking ten years in Cuba, IFAD’s 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 Cuba’s Camagüey province, the tropical sun is scorching. It’s the afternoon and we’ve been on the road since early morning and we’re 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 IFAD’s 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 times—including 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, it’s making enormous progress. “Last year, 30 calves were born. This year, 25 have been born already, and it’s only June,” explains Abdiel.
More:
https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/-/a-decade-of-progress-for-small-scale-farmers-in-cuba
