Cuban Leader Criticizes Farmers, Ignoring State's Role in Agricultural Failures

In a speech characterized by a condescending tone and a clear avoidance of accountability, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez criticized the nation’s farmers on Saturday for the low agricultural output, insisting that "there's plenty of land to cultivate." He failed to acknowledge the government’s role in the structural inefficiencies plaguing Cuba's agricultural system.

Addressing the National Congress of the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), Díaz-Canel reiterated old promises of productive transformation, placing blame on the farming community for not making better use of the land granted to them, despite the numerous restrictions imposed by the government itself, according to a report from Canal Caribe.

The State’s Overlooked Responsibility

"This congress will truly be historic if we manage to change the food production situation in the country... there's a lot of land to cultivate, a lot of land to make productive," Díaz-Canel declared, overlooking the severe issues of access to inputs, technology, and autonomy faced by Cuban producers.

Despite acknowledging that in previous periods the country had abundant resources that were squandered "without achieving efficiency," the leader did not take institutional responsibility nor did he propose any substantial reforms to the centralized model that keeps Cuba's countryside tethered.

Criticism of Intermediaries and Distribution Failures

He also seized the opportunity to target intermediaries in the food distribution chain, accusing them of unfairly raising prices for the population and profiting without adding value. "Every time there's an intermediary, the price goes up for the population... There are four or five people earning more than the producer," he complained.

However, his critique omits a crucial point: it is the State itself that designs and regulates the distribution chain, restricts producers' freedom to sell, imposes price caps, and monopolizes access to markets and supplies.

Calls for Direct Market Sales Amidst Bureaucratic Hurdles

Instead of proposing a genuine opening of agricultural trade, Díaz-Canel suggests that cooperatives sell "directly" to local markets without detailing how this could be achieved in an environment riddled with bureaucratic obstacles, arbitrary inspections, and a lack of incentives.

Félix Duarte Ortega, president of the ANAP and a Communist Party official, echoed the official rhetoric, appealing to "commitment" and "increased production" despite adverse conditions. "The delegates and guests reaffirmed their willingness... based on the sector’s potential and the commitment they assume with feeding our people... under any circumstances," Duarte stated, without addressing the historical demands of farmers or the necessity of structural agrarian reform.

Instead of fostering true decentralization, the leadership recycles moral exhortations and calls for "creativity" and "heroism." In a country where over 70% of food is imported, and markets are understocked with soaring prices, the leaders’ calls seem increasingly out of touch with the reality of the countryside and the people.

Recently, in Las Tunas, Díaz-Canel claimed that "we have much more land under cultivation than in previous times." However, national production figures tell a very different story. Official data reveals that rice production, a staple of the Cuban diet, barely reaches 30% of the amount harvested in 2018, highlighting the failure of the policies implemented by his administration.