The Cuban authorities will extend to the entire country a study carried out in the province of Mayabeque, southeast of Havana, to control the distribution of milk, affected by problems in the quality of the product, transportation and conservation. More than 70 per cent of the milk in the country comes from the cooperative and farmer sector.
Read MoreCuban cigar enthusiasts and vendors from around the world paid a visit to the Partagas and H. Upmann factories in Havana during the XIII Habano Festival. The prestigious event for gourmet smokers concludes concluded on Friday with a gala cultural program and an auction of specially crafted humidors that brought in over a million dollars. (9 photos)
Read MoreHousing construction has nosedived in Cuba since 2006, when 11,373 new homes were built, according to a report by the National Office of Statistics (ONE). In 2010 barely 34,014 homes were built. The housing shortage is one of the biggest problems facing the Cuban population, especially felt by the youth who find it nearly impossible to live independently.
Read MoreThe sale of cigars marketed by the Habanos S.A. company grew two per cent in 2010 and it is expected that this year a similar level will be maintained, said Javier Terrés, vice president of development of the company, a joint venture between the British Imperial Tobacco Group and the island’s government. Terres said, “The coming into force of the anti-smoking restrictions, one of Europe’s harshest, in Spain will affect cigar sales.”
Read MoreThe 13th Habano Festival, a week-long salute to the world’s best cigars, got underway in the Cuban capital on Monday. The five-day event includes visits to emblematic Habano factories; a trade fair; seminars; tastings and marriages; the International Habanasommelier Contest; a master class on cigar rolling and a visit to tobacco plantations. (12 photos)
Read MoreThe 13th edition of the Havana Cigar Festival will begin today in the Cuban capital’s Convention Centre, with the participation of more than 1,200 specialists and cigar aficionados from some 80 countries, the event’s Organizing Committee reported. The meeting includes, among other activities, two contests on the connection of rum and wine with cigars, visits to tobacco plantations and cigar factories, and the election of the “Havana Cigar Man of the Year.”
Read MoreThe poor results are also linked to the lack of labor force’s motivation. “No one is motivated if they don’t earn enough to feed well their families, without good working tools, and if with their daily sweat they can’t aspire to improve or build their home.”
Read MoreA motion in the US Senate that aimed to block trips from any U.S. airport to Cuba was abandoned by its authors, senators Marco Rubio and Roberto Menendez, says the Miami Herald. The measure was strongly criticized by the Tampa Chamber of Commerce in Florida, interested in opening that city’s airport to flights to the island.
Read MoreCuba and India will strengthen their collaboration in the area of natural medicine, as a result of the visit to that Asian country by Concepción Campa, director of the Finlay Institute, who toured several research centers related to practices such as yoga and homeopathy. In a lecture at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India, Campa highlighted the advances made by the island in biotechnology, especially in the production of vaccines.
Read MoreCuba saved more than 10 million dollars in 2010 from the retreading of tires, Iris Carrazana González, economic director of the National Tire Company, announced. According to the specialist, the island hopes to increase this year its industrial capacities in this sector, to reach some 135,000 tires.
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