In Matanzas this Wednesday, Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa led a meeting focused on evaluating the island's productive strategies and food plans for the remaining months of the year. His message to the Cuban people was clear: "We must work to overcome the crisis. With creativity, we are persevering and making progress. We will not give up on development or achieving new results in all areas."
The meeting, reported by the state-run Periódico Girón, also featured Mario Sabines Lorenzo, the first secretary of the Provincial Party Committee in Matanzas. He highlighted that state agencies and enterprises had begun cultivating rice for self-consumption, setting an example for the rest of the province to follow.
Valdés Mesa emphasized the importance of all municipalities setting concrete goals, not just those traditionally known for rice and bean cultivation, as part of the effort to achieve food sovereignty.
Data shared at the meeting painted a grim picture of ongoing failures. For the 2026-2027 cold season campaign, over 500 hectares of beans were planned to be planted in Matanzas, yet by the end of September, only 81% of that target was reached.
The spring corn campaign also fell short, achieving just 80% of its goal, hindered by irrigation issues, below-average rainfall, and producers' inability to afford fuel at current prices.
The challenges acknowledged by the regime are recurring themes in every official visit: diesel shortages, exorbitant fuel costs, power outages disrupting irrigation systems, and crop infestations.
Discussions also covered how to boost oilseed yields, such as sesame, by leveraging scientific expertise. Additionally, the distribution of ration book products to vulnerable groups was reviewed, benefiting over a thousand pregnant women, 51,000 vulnerable individuals, medical diet patients, and approximately 55 celiac children.
Valdés Mesa's visit comes amid a deep-rooted agricultural crisis the regime has yet to resolve. Rice production in Cuba plummeted from 304,000 tons in 2018 to just 111,000 tons in 2025, meeting less than 20% of national demand. The country imports between 70% and 80% of its food, costing around $2 billion annually.
Matanzas is among five Cuban provinces—including Havana, Cienfuegos, Guantánamo, and Santiago de Cuba—identified as facing critical food survival levels. A 2025 survey on food insecurity revealed that 33.9% of Cuban households experienced at least one member going hungry in the previous 30 days, and 94.9% reported some decline in food access.
This isn't the first time Valdés Mesa has visited Matanzas with a similar assessment. In April, he oversaw the rice program in Calimete, where over 200 producers had planted about 730 hectares out of nearly 3,000 available. Earlier, in November 2025, an official visit to the same area found only 557 out of the planned 1,500 hectares for the cold season campaign had been planted due to issues with gates and transformers.
The vice president's words—"with creativity, we are persevering"—stand in stark contrast to a reality documented by IPS News in August: producers in Artemisa reported yields 27% lower than in 2025, directly due to power outages and the inability to pump water for irrigation.
Addressing Cuba's Agricultural Challenges
What are the main obstacles facing Cuban agriculture?
Cuban agriculture is primarily hindered by diesel shortages, high fuel prices, power outages affecting irrigation, and crop infestations.
How has rice production changed in Cuba over recent years?
Rice production in Cuba has significantly decreased from 304,000 tons in 2018 to merely 111,000 tons by 2025, covering less than 20% of national demand.
What is the state of food insecurity in Cuba?
A 2025 survey indicated that 33.9% of Cuban households had at least one member go hungry in the previous 30 days, with 94.9% reporting a decline in food access.