By Raul Estrada Zamora
estrada@enet.cu
Translation: Ernesto Gutierrez Pino

Las Tunas.- The farmers of Las Tunas eastern province have planted over 17, 300 hectares of roots, grains and vegetables, a figure 127 percent higher than the existing plantations in January 2009, when the territory began to recover from severe damages caused by Hurricanes Ike and Paloma, in September and November last year.

Agricultural products such as plantain, cassava, beans and corn have higher growth, although there is a wider diversification, especially in the case of vegetables and fruit.

The increase in the banana plantations is a strategic issue, because the banana represents about 70 percent of the food usually consumed by the inhabitants of the eight municipalities of Las Tunas.

Cassava is also included as high-priority cultivation, due to its big acceptance and its adaptability to various soil types, as well as the possibility it offers for sowing it by

The banana is a main food in the diet of the inhabitants of Las Tunas.

Most of the areas covered by cassava have been planted through the use of pipes or tanks to moisten the soil.

As for the production of beans and corn, there is a program to guarantee an increase of these foods in each territory, due to the high prices in the global market and the U.S. economic blockade against Cuba.

Nevertheless, in Las Tunas the cultivated areas may have increased much more, but there are still several limiting factors in this regard, such as low labor productivity, non-adherence of all producers to the final results of their work and insufficient application of the scientific and technological development, among other problems.

Moreover, it is necessary to keep in mind that the province is the driest of Cuba and is highly vulnerable to floods and other weather events.

This territory also has insufficient storage capacity and limited irrigation systems. In addition, it has 96, 500 hectares covered by bushes and about 80 percent of its soils have a degrading factor, making them less productive.

.Cuban News Agency

.Latin American News Agency