Direct sales of fresh milk benefit Cuban consumers


By: William Fernandez (AIN)

Havana Province, Cuba. - The direct sale of fresh milk to the Cuban population amounts to more than 114 million liters until last October. The milk is sold at 6 150 grocery stores throughout the country.

Joaquin Lezcano, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, pointed out that the figure represents a significant increase in the collection levels. Deliveries have risen in 22.8 million liters more than the same period of 2008. As a result, the country was spared the import of 13 000 tons of powder milk.

Lezcano admitted to AIN (National News Agency) that consumers’ demand has not been met yet, since only 56% of the retail units receive this direct supply. He advocated the need to implement direct sales wherever the conditions allow it.

Nowadays, 66 municipalities of the country are fully supplied by local producers. By the end of the spring campaign, San Jose de las Lajas, in Havana Province, turned out to be the best of all.

Matilde Rodriguez, local official of the Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted the increased daily production, now in excess of 5 000 liters.

She pointed out that this progress is due to the encouragement of producers with measures like raising the prices paid by the State, the delivery of inputs and personalized assistance to peasants.

Neighbors of Melena del Sur, San Nicolas, Artemisa, Quivican and San Jose de las Lajas affirmed that shops and gastronomy centers of those municipalities offer milk in different ways: cold, hot, with chocolate and milk shakes.

The population gladly welcomes the liberated sale of milk, which the leadership of the Revolution regards as an attainable goal. Our colleague Lazaro Silva, from Batabano, thinks that to this end Cubans need to work the land harder.

Translated by:Pedro A. Fanego

( 27.11.2009 3:17 PM )