On Friday, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz and Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa made an inspection tour of La Güinera Defense Zone in Havana's Arroyo Naranjo municipality. They emphasized the importance of utilizing available land for planting short-cycle crops to address the island's severe food crisis.
During the visit, coinciding with the National Defense Day, Marrero highlighted the area's unique advantage: "Food production is essential, and unlike other defense zones, you have land," according to a report by the official Canal Caribe television.
The visit also assessed troop readiness plans and the role of the Production and Defense Brigades. It addressed critical issues affecting over 36,000 residents across La Güinera's 14 districts, including water supply challenges and uneven electrical circuit rotations.
"We acknowledge the area's complexity during these challenging times, especially concerning energy, fuel, and water. We must continue working hard to exploit the potential here," Marrero stated to local authorities.
The call to action comes amid an unprecedented agricultural and energy collapse, crippling nearly 97% of Cuba's micro-agricultural enterprises. On the same day, Valdés Mesa visited agricultural entities in Mayabeque, urging farmers to replace diesel with biomass and wood due to fuel shortages.
Marrero's push to cultivate idle lands in Havana is not a new initiative. In February, the government attempted to revive the failed Havana Greenbelt project to reclaim land in Arroyo Naranjo and surrounding municipalities.
In January, Marrero demanded the removal of barriers to land distribution during a visit to Cienfuegos, and in December 2025, he claimed progress in urban agriculture on social media, which sparked widespread mockery amid widespread shortages.
The Dire State of Cuban Agriculture
Rice production in Cuba plummeted from 304,000 tons in 2018 to merely 111,000 in 2025. The nation imports between 70% and 80% of its food, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) declared a humanitarian emergency in Cuban agriculture in March.
With the energy collapse halting agricultural machinery, Cuba's farming sector has reverted to using oxen and windmills, starkly contrasting with official rhetoric about the productive potential of available lands.
Even the Communist Party admitted in December 2024 that the sector's outcomes fall short of meeting the population's needs.
Understanding Cuba's Agricultural and Energy Crisis
What actions are Cuban leaders taking to address the food crisis?
Cuban leaders are urging the use of available land to plant short-cycle crops and are encouraging the substitution of diesel with biomass and wood due to fuel shortages.
How has rice production been affected in Cuba?
Cuba's rice production has dramatically decreased from 304,000 tons in 2018 to just 111,000 tons in 2025, contributing to the country's reliance on food imports.
What measures has the FAO taken regarding Cuba's agricultural situation?
The FAO has declared a humanitarian emergency in Cuba's agricultural sector, highlighting the critical state of food security on the island.