Cuban Gov. Admits Problems with Rationed Bread Rolls
The crisis with the distribution of bread rolls comes at a time of scarcity and shortages of other basic products and medicines
HAVANA TIMES – The Cuban government admitted on this Tuesday that there are difficulties in importing wheat flour and thus problems in guaranteeing the sacred bread roll to each person.
“In recent months (…) difficulties in importing wheat have worsened, which has affected the availability of this product,” the Ministry of Domestic Trade (Mincin) reported.
The ministry alleged that among the causes are “the tightening of the US blockade, the current international logistics crisis and the country’s financial limitations.”
According to the Mincin, “the country has sought alternatives to ensure the production of bread to meet the ration book demand in force since 1962 through which the State sells some subsidized products and has included a small bread roll of daily bread per person.
In the case of Havana, the provincial government recognized a reduction in the consumption of flour due to delays with obtaining wheat, in addition to “the high prices that maritime services have today in the market,” according to the official Granma newspaper.
The coordinator of the Havana regime, Julio Martínez, affirmed that they guaranteed “the ration for the prison population, children without family protection, nursing homes, and psychiatric hospitals and others of special needs.”
“However, the situation does affect the distribution of bread to the food service industry and schools,” he added.
The crisis with the distribution of bread comes at a time of scarcity and shortages of other basic products and medicines. Cuba imports about 70% of the food it consumes at an annual cost of more than $2 billion, according to official data.