The Guantánamo Poultry Company insists it's undergoing a "productive diversification" phase as a successful response to the industry's crisis, yet on-the-ground realities paint a different picture.
A report from the state-run Canal Caribe highlighted supposed progress, but what it actually reveals is that the company has ceased egg production entirely.
Shift from Poultry to Livestock and Agriculture
According to the report, the company's focus has shifted from poultry to raising sheep, rabbits, and pigs, developing larger livestock, practicing beekeeping, and cultivating vegetables, rice, and root crops.
A spokesperson for the company, Mejías Osorio, stated, "The Guantánamo poultry company has been diversifying its production into activities that do not require imports."
New Ventures in the Midst of Collapse
The same official elaborated, "In smaller livestock, we have sheep, rabbits, and pigs, and we are now intentionally working with beekeeping."
Additionally, they announced the recent launch of a small meat processing industry aimed at social consumption—education and public health—a private butcher shop, and an institutional restaurant, all touted as achievements "for the population's nourishment."
Hidden Realities Behind the Changes
What the official report fails to mention is the extent of the collapse prompting this shift. Cuba's egg production plummeted from 5 million eggs daily in 2020 to a mere 2.2 million in 2023, as acknowledged by Agriculture Minister Ydael Pérez Brito.
In 2024, over 1.3 million laying hens died nationwide due to feed shortages, with even state media conceding that "egg production is the most adversely affected agricultural sector."
Historically, the figures are even more stark: national production fell from 2.717 billion eggs in 1991 to just 385 million in 2024, with a loss of 5.4 million laying hens in only five years, according to data from the specialized publication Agrimidia.
In Ciego de Ávila, production dropped from 120 million eggs in 2016 to only 16 million by the end of 2024, an 87% decrease. In Pinar del Río, poultry production in 2025 reached just 24% of 2019 levels. August of that year saw Cuba's egg production hit historic lows.
Import Reliance and Economic Hardship
To maintain minimal social consumption—health, education, and maternal-infant programs—Cuba imports approximately 16.5 million eggs monthly from the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and the United States. On the black market, a single egg can cost between 90 and 120 Cuban pesos, and a carton of 30 eggs exceeds 3,000 pesos, surpassing a retiree's monthly pension.
The regime attributes the shortages to the U.S. embargo, but the crisis stems from decades of structural dependency on a state model that never ensured sufficient feed production to sustain the sector.
The "diversification" celebrated by Canal Caribe in Guantánamo is not a solution; it's evidence that the provincial poultry company is no longer a poultry entity.
For 2026, the government set a target of producing 690.7 million eggs for the entire year, a figure that starkly illustrates the depth of the collapse in a sector that, just three decades ago, produced nearly four times that amount.
Understanding Cuba's Poultry Crisis
Why did the Guantánamo Poultry Company stop producing eggs?
The company ceased egg production due to a strategic shift towards diversification into other agricultural areas like livestock and crops, mainly driven by a crisis in the poultry sector.
How has Cuba's egg production changed over the years?
Cuba's egg production drastically decreased from 2.717 billion eggs in 1991 to 385 million in 2024, with significant losses in the laying hen population due to feed shortages.
What are the implications of egg shortages on Cuban society?
Egg shortages have led to increased reliance on imports for social programs and a surge in black market prices, making basic nutrition increasingly unaffordable for many, especially retirees.