During a visit to the Santiago de las Vegas Defense Zone in the Boyeros district of Havana, Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz demanded an increase in food production this Friday.
Valdés Mesa emphasized that the area, home to over 176,400 residents, has the potential to boost food output. Meanwhile, Marrero urged the identification of available resources in each defense zone to ensure basic services and meet economic needs, according to a report broadcast by the state-run television.
The meeting also reviewed the energy support for healthcare institutions, the supply of potable water, and the use of renewable sources in priority centers. Additionally, it was reported that 12 family care units are employing alternative cooking methods.
Recurrent Calls Amid Agricultural Challenges
This visit reflects a pattern repeated throughout the year. On July 17, both leaders toured the La Güinera Defense Zone in Arroyo Naranjo, where Marrero emphasized the importance of planting and noted the availability of land in that area.
Boyeros was also one of the four municipalities chosen in February for the revival of the unsuccessful Cordón de La Habana, an agricultural project launched by dictator Fidel Castro (1926-2016) in 1968, which mobilized around 25,000 workers daily without achieving its production goals.
Grave Agricultural Crisis in Cuba
These renewed demands come as Cuba grapples with a severe agricultural crisis. The nation produces approximately 111,000 tons of rice annually compared to a demand of 600,000 tons and relies on imports for 70% to 80% of its food consumption, costing nearly $2 billion each year.
An April report from the Food Monitor Program indicated that about 97% of the Cuban population lacked adequate access to food, with nearly one in three households reporting that a member had gone to bed hungry. Havana is also among the five provinces experiencing critical levels of food insecurity.
The gap between official directives and the on-the-ground realities was highlighted in August 2025 when a farmer from Majibacoa, Las Tunas, responded to a Communist Party official attempting to instruct him on planting, saying, "We are in the trenches and know just as well as you what needs to be done."
In late 2024, the Communist Party itself acknowledged that "the results achieved today do not meet the population's needs." Since then, authorities have intensified visits and calls to increase production, without, according to cited data, significant recovery.
Understanding Cuba's Food Production Crisis
What is the current food production challenge in Cuba?
Cuba is facing a severe agricultural crisis, producing only 111,000 tons of rice annually against a demand of 600,000 tons, and it relies heavily on food imports for 70% to 80% of what it consumes.
How are Cuban leaders responding to the agricultural crisis?
Cuban leaders, including Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, are urging an increase in local food production and identifying available resources to ensure basic services and economic needs.
What historical efforts have been made to boost agriculture in Havana?
In 1968, Fidel Castro launched the Cordón de La Habana project, mobilizing 25,000 workers daily, but it failed to meet its agricultural production goals. Recent efforts have aimed to revive similar initiatives in selected municipalities.