• Submitted by: manso
• Business and Economy
• 09 / 14 / 2010

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CIEGO DE AVILA, Cuba.- Farmers from Ciego de Avila province, in central Cuba, has sown some 5,850 hectare of rice, and harvested a similar number of tons of the grain this year up to this date, both new records for the territory.

The head of the rice program in Ciego de Avila and of the Maximo Gomez enterprise Yuliska Ramírez Burgos reported the press that the output had been considerable higher than in previous year and that it showed the farmers commitment to cover the population’s demand with domestic rice.

Ramirez said the province averages 5 tons per hectare, an acceptable yield in her opinion for a territory where farmers are new to this crop, unlike other territories with more experience.

Expectations are to harvest some 7,000 more tons in this area, which will allow farmers to meet their needs and to sell their excess at the region’s markets.

This output already surpasses the amount collected throughout the entire 2009, but is still insufficient to meet people’s demands, said Benito Migoya, head of Agriculture in this province.

Ciego de Avila has the facilities to dry and mill most of its production and also can send some to nearby Santi Spiritus province for these tasks.  

Source: Radio Rebelde