Cuban Farmers Who Refuse To Sell Milk to the State…
… after four months without being paid
The reason for this strike of empty milk cans is the lack of cash in the banks preventing farmers from receiving payment for the product.
HAVANA TIMES – Although the udders of the cows continue to give milk in Sancti Spíritus, the farmers of the province refuse to continue selling their production to the State. The reason for this is the lack of cash in the banks, which prevents them from receiving payment for the product. Without paper money, the farmers refuse to fulfill their commitments to the official companies.
“They are making fun of us apparently. On the one hand they tell us that we must comply with the rule of delivery, that this is a strategic sector for the country, and on the other they don’t give us our money,” a member of a dairy cooperative with more than a dozen farms located on the outskirts of the capital tells 14ymedio. “You can’t do that,” says the farmer, who prefers anonymity, with annoyance.
Each producer has a mandatory amount of milk that they must sell to the State company Combinado Lácteo Río Zaza, according to the number of animals they have and the average yield they have shown in recent years. Each liter of milk within that rule is paid at 75 pesos, and for each one that exceeds the assigned amount, the farmer will receive 38 pesos.
At the time of paying its debts, the Combinado deposits in the bank, either physically or electronically, the amount allocated to each cooperative. That money must be withdrawn from the bank branch by the administration of the cooperative, which will be responsible for distributing the income among its members according to what is contributed by each one. But “the umbrella gets jammed when it comes to releasing the money,” complains the farmer from Sancti Spíritus.
Being outside the official umbrella is also very complicated. Throughout the province there are 32 agricultural cooperatives that encompass most of the producers of meats, vegetables, fruits and milk. In the case of the cow owners, the pressures to join the cooperative system, the constant controls of the inspectors and the recent census of their animals make it almost impossible for them to exist outside the mechanism of State deliveries.
Last July, the Governor of the province, Alexis Llorente, said on the local radio that the “contracting of milk” with the farmers had been completed and exceeded 6 million liters. The official pointed out the indisciplines of the producers as one of the problems they had to overcome to comply with the annual plans but did not allude at any time to the situation of payments to farmers who were already in crisis at that time.
“The bank has been empty for months. It doesn’t have cash to give to the cooperative, and people don’t want electronic money because you have to pay for everything here with a wad of bills in your hand,” adds the farmer. “From the pound of rice that I have to buy to feed my family, to the salary of my employees, the money has to be tangible, not numbers on a mobile screen.”
After four months of delays and in view of the fact that the banking situation does not seem to be resolved in the short term, producers such as Mario, his name changed for this report, resident in the municipality of Jatibonico, has also joined the work halt. “I’ve been selling milk on my own for a couple of weeks; anyway, I don’t do business to sell it to the State because the payment is bad. That same liter of milk that I deliver after fulfilling my commitment, which they only pay me at 38 pesos, I sell on the street at 120,” he says.
The People’s Power delegate of the area “called a meeting to scold the farmers,” says the man. “He told us that we could not continue selling milk on the outside, but it fell on deaf ears because we live from what we manage to sell, and if the State does not pay us what are we going to do? Starve to death?”
Most of the milk that the State buys is distributed through the rationed market, for children under 7 years of age and people with specific medical diets who have the product allocated to them. The rest is sent to nursing homes and children’s daycare centers, where the food supply has suffered multiple oscillations in recent years.
Now, the most widespread opinion among provincial producers is that the problem of non-payments will get worse. “There is often no money even to pay doctors and teachers, who have to go to the bank several times to see if they can get their salary. Imagine what’s going to be left for us. Everyone wants to drink a glass of milk but that takes effort and expense; you don’t get milk from a cow by whispering in her ear and telling her that she has to fulfill the government’s plan.”
Translated by Regina Anavy for Translating Cuba
Why would they get less pesos when they exceed a limit? It should be more to encourage more sales to the government. Give them 120. It’s still cheaper than new Zealand powdered milk.
Why is Cuba suffering like this and no other countries are stepping in. I go to Cuba every 6 weeks to see my husband. People need to spread the word. This is inhumaine and illegal. Banks have no money, but you need cash. No electricity every day for hours on end with stifling heat. No water, no food, floods daily with garbage that remains piled on the streets that are pools of bacteria washing down the streets. The sad thing is Cubans are the most loving caring people and it’s horrible to say the least that nobody knows about how badly this country needs help. Enough is enough, Canada should be helping this country!! They need help immediately.
Yet when said the farmers needed 25 cents U S a little people said I didn’t understand Cuba. All I know is with the shortage of many items in Cuba except for labor costs new Zealand can produce milk cheaper and their costs are above 25 cents or 80 pesos on the grey market which is unaffordable to a teacher in Cuba.
Absolutely no logic to this situation….it’s a common sense problem, don’t understand at all.
These are the wonderful benefits of communist – socialist governments that time and again have destroyed the lives and economies of any and all countries where they have popped up. So if you think that socio – communist dictatorship is the way to go, then you know nothing of history or what is presently going on in places like Venezuela, North Korea, Cuba, and the former Soviet Union among others. The only countries that have prospered and made the lives of their citizens better in spite of its shortfalls are the capitalist nations.
As a visitor to Cuba, at least once a year since the revolution I’m familiar with ALL the hardships Cubans suffer. With the Castro Brothers they understood Communism & all it’s drawbacks. Unfortunately, the new regime holds & pockets the money for their own purposes not the Cuban citizens, dictated again by the Russians & financed by the Chinese government! Is the Cuban bank problem the catalyst for a new revolution?? Time is the enemy!
I love it. Tiene valor el campesino!
The government is corruption,
Cuba needs a new president and leadership, that love God, and themselves and the Cuba people as well. GOD BLESS THE CUBAN RESIDENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN.
I am very sorry for What’s happening in Cuba. You can be certain that the politicians will have milk for their children and their families and Friends. The farmers are right to do this.
Absolutely agree , you want milk or any goods you have to buy it . Bring the funds in cash to the seller. Sounds like the state is not keeping up to there end of the bargain. So why would those who produce keep supplying. They have to invest time and money into care and feed of animals and I’m sure need the money it produces to survive. The state depends on the people without them life would surely come to a screeching halt. Treat them accordingly and while your at it increase the amt they are paid. Love and support your people and start treating them fairly state.
It’s a cluster f**k like everything the incompetent communist government does. NOTHING WORKS in Cuba!
They wanted Communism, now let them “reap what they sow…”
before the communist tyrant dictatorship Cuba had one head of cow per cuban, what a shame this regime has been
What a convoluted mess the Cuban Govt has created, absolutely no logic whatsoever.
How can farmers run with no money I don’t understand why gov will pay more to bring in foreign eggs and milk powderand cheese than production in Cuba.