Sharp Drop in Cuba’s Farm Production
HAVANA TIMES, May 15 – Agricultural production reported strong decreases in the first quarter of this year as compared to 2009 in key food products in Cuba, according to a report by the National Office of Statistics (ONE). While the collection of tubers in general increased 4.5 per cent and rice, essential in the island’s diet, the production of beans and vegetables fell by 40.5 and 35.1 per cent, respectively. Moreover, citrus fruit decreased 21.6 per cent, reported IPS.
Cuba’s Small Farmer’s Organization (ANAP) is currently holding its Tenth Congress in the Cuban capital. Confronting the production challenges facing the country is among the key issues being discussed. ANAP represents cooperatives and individual family farmers.
I couldn’t agree more with Grady. It’s truly tragic to see the incredible potential Cuba has to be an example to the rest of the world… and then to compare that with the unfortuate reality. There are some truly remarkable achievements in this revolution, but sadly, the all-encompassing power of the state ends up cannibalizing itself through its over-reaching need to control every aspect of peoples’ lives. Sadly, I think that only a 2nd “special period” that brings the nation close to starvation will be enough to convince these ideologues in government to allow some sensible degree of micro-capitalism to exist.
Nothing is more emblematic of the failure of Marxian state socialist theory than the endemic crippling of agriculture.
The original socialist movement envisioned unity between the working class and the peasants. Both were expected to be happier and more productive under a future socialist regime. Ownership of the land and the major means of production was envisioned to go directly to those who do the work, not to the state. Then came Engels and Marx with their dictatorial redefinition of how socialism is supposed to be constituted.
Why have intelligent socialists continued with this nonsense?
How many failures of the Marxian economic formula will it take for the socialist vanguard to realize we’ve been duped by theoretical sabotage. (I tried to examine it re ANAP in yesterday’s HT.)
The socialist movement must be reconstituted. Part of this is dumping the stupid prejudice against the small farm-owning families and other small entrepreneurial sectors.
I hope most of this setback is on account of drought: because in that case, it would be primarily a technical issue, and not a social one. Cuba apparently has plenty enuff social problems already. It’d be nice to know why this is — and what solutions are being proposed to, uh, “rectify” the situation.
Food production is #1 for any truly sovereign country, socialist or otherwise. If all the ALBA countries could cover each others’ shortfalls — that would be even better.