A Cuban farmer in Majibacoa, Las Tunas, boldly countered the advice of Osbel Lorenzo Rodríguez, the first secretary of the Communist Party (PCC) in the province, during an official visit to agricultural areas with unsatisfactory results. The official attempted to instruct on how to maximize land use by intercropping sweet potatoes to boost yields.
"What needs to be done here? Right where you have crops now, you need to take advantage of intercropping, and then the area will yield double... If you manage to plant sweet potatoes here now, you can do it immediately, making use of the land that's already prepared. What's stopping you?" Lorenzo Rodríguez questioned.
However, the farmer's response was swift and firm, politely putting the bureaucrat in his place: "Look, that's planted with donkey beans, and yesterday we intercropped beans within the donkey beans... We are in the furrow and just as aware as you of what needs to be done," the farmer asserted with the confidence of someone who works the land daily.
The exchange, which was broadcast by the official media Tunas Visión, shows Lorenzo persisting that it had to be done "now," while the producer calmly and confidently indicated that the political guidance was late, as the fields were already in progress.
The encounter took place in the agricultural enterprises of Majibacoa, where the official press admitted that the planned advancements are not being met satisfactorily.
This scenario is not an isolated incident. In May of the previous year, the then PCC secretary in Las Tunas, Walter Simón Noris, publicly reprimanded provincial directors during a Government Council, declaring that "everything is unfulfilled" there.
"Las Tunas is an agricultural, sugarcane-producing province, and everything related to agriculture is neglected," he stated, listing failures in contracting, meat and milk production, and various crops.
The incident in Majibacoa highlights the tension between the political rhetoric of officials and the practical experience of producers, who bear the burden of sustaining an economy marked by scarcity and the pressure of state plans. In the furrow, the farmer's voice reminded everyone that, beyond directives, those who toil the land "know what they need to do."
Understanding the Agricultural Challenges in Cuba
What was the farmer's response to the official's advice?
The farmer responded confidently, stating that they were already planting beans and were aware of what needed to be done, indicating that they were not in need of the official's late advice.
Why is the incident in Majibacoa significant?
The incident underscores the disconnect between political directives and the practical knowledge and experience of farmers who deal with the realities of agriculture daily, amidst economic pressures and state-imposed plans.
What did Walter Simón Noris criticize about the agriculture in Las Tunas?
He criticized the lack of fulfillment in various agricultural areas, including contracting, meat and milk production, and crop cultivation, emphasizing the pervasive issues in the province's agricultural sector.