• Submitted by: manso
• Business and Economy
• 12 / 17 / 2010

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2010.12.15 - 19:00:56 / [email protected]. Havana, Cuba.- Farmers, from the western province of Habana, increased the harvest of potato during the winter season so as to attain high yields.

Cooperative members and agricultural workers from the territory –– the biggest tuber producer of the country –– must plant 3,356 hectares, out of which 600 hectares are already planted.  

The Cuba-Mexico Credit and Services Cooperative, of the municipality of Alquizar, which should render 67 hectares, stands out among the rest of the cooperatives.

The president of this cooperative, Fernando Ravelo, noted that this harvest depends, to a great extend, on the weather conditions, and the attention given to the cultivations. He added that they have worked intensively on the preparation of the soil.

All the Cuban provinces, except for the capital city and the special municipality of the Isle of Youth, already began to harvest.

According to some data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, more than 20 national and imported varieties of seeds will be used this time.

Other executives affirmed that fertilizers and herbicides have been guaranteed to plant the more than 7,500 hectares due.

Last year, this crop was affected by the high temperatures and the lack of these products at the proper time, and therefore, the output was below the expected figures.

The current worldwide financial crisis made the prices of the fertilizers go sky-high from 200 dollars per ton to 600, for which the Cuban government has to pay high numbers.

Source: ACN