Under the leadership of Marino Murillo Jorge, former architect of the failed "Tarea Ordenamiento" initiative, the Tabacuba Business Group has delivered an initial shipment of 150 Chinese YTO 904 tractors to farmers and cooperatives in Pinar del Río and Artemisa. The plan for this year includes selling a total of 300 tractors, all priced in Freely Convertible Currency (FCC).
The vehicles are part of the government's strategy to "boost tobacco production with modern technology," as highlighted in a statement on the entity's Facebook page. However, the sales process requires farmers to pay for these tractors using a portion of the FCC that the state itself withholds from their exports. This system, marketed as an incentive, has stirred growing discontent among producers, who feel caught in a loop where they must return to the government the currency they earn through their labor.
At the end of September, Murillo opened an FCC store for tobacco farmers in Pinar del Río, aimed at selling basic supplies—such as machetes, hardware, and cement—that can only be purchased with this currency. This development came shortly after Mercedes-Benz vehicles were handed over to Cuban farmers, which Tabacuba touted as an incentive but effectively serves as a method to reclaim the FCC accumulated by the farmers.
In June, Murillo facilitated the purchase of 13 YTO-X904 tractors, each sold at $26,000—nearly three times the international market rate. "For tobacco, yes, because it’s what they export, but for agriculture that feeds the people, there’s nothing," remarked Facebook user Yasmani Tamayo. Others labeled the transaction a "show" and criticized the lack of investment in vital sectors such as livestock and food production.
"A tractor should be something every farmer could buy with their own money without having to thank anyone," commented Noel Martínez. While tobacco farmers are obliged to buy equipment and tools at inflated prices, the country grapples with severe shortages of food, transportation, and basic resources. Yet tobacco—one of the few sectors generating fresh dollars for the state—remains the priority in a system that consolidates wealth in the hands of its administrators.
In early October, official media in Pinar del Río reported the acquisition of a new batch of heavy vehicles, which, according to executives from the Agricultural Transport Company, a subsidiary of Tabacuba, will enhance the transport of resources for the province’s tobacco agricultural and agro-industrial activities.
Understanding Cuba's Tractor Sales to Tobacco Farmers
Why are tractors being sold in Freely Convertible Currency (FCC)?
Tractors are sold in FCC as part of the Cuban government's strategy to modernize tobacco production while recovering the foreign currency farmers earn from exports.
What has been the farmers' reaction to this sales mechanism?
Many farmers express dissatisfaction, feeling trapped in a cycle where they must return the currency they generate through their work to the government.
How do the prices of these tractors compare to international rates?
The tractors are being sold at nearly three times the international market price, causing further frustration among the farmers.