Cuba all set for another bumper sugarcane crop

[Ken Hanly]

Perhaps Paul Phillips has some information on this. A woman I talked with
recently who just returned from Cuba claims that there is a conflict between
Castro and many agriculture officials. As for newer fertlizer, Cuba does not
have the foreign exchange to purchase it. There is even a movement to use
"animal power" to reduce the use of fuel. There has been  a more "green"
agricultural policy and a more diversified base since the collapse of the Soviet
Union. Some Canadian cattle farmers have been involved in diversifying the
cattle industry. Castro wants to increase sugar production against the wishes of
many officials who want to diversify, concentrate more on food supply and less
on export staples I expect there is much less land devoted to sugar production
than in the heady days of subsidized prices of sugar bought by the Soviets..

   Cheers, Ken Hanly

Andrew English wrote:


> I sure don't know "what gives."  How is the international market for sugar?
> Is there sufficient demand, or would higher production just depress prices?
>
> If there is a production problem in Cuba, maybe it is related to
> breakdowns in the harvesting machinery, maybe lack of petro.
>
> -Andy English
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brad De Long <delong at econ.Berkeley.EDU>
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
> Date: Thursday, April 27, 2000 1:25 PM
> Subject: Re: Cuba all set for another bumper sugarcane crop
>
> >>As I recall there was a time (around 1970 I think) when the Cuban
> government
> >>wrecked the
> >>economy mobilizing the entire workforce to try to harvest 10 million tons.
> >>Afterward, they
> >>criticized themselves and moved to a more balanced economic strategy.
> >>
> >>-Andy English
> >
> >But in the 1960s they *routinely* harvested 6 million tons. We today
> >have better selectively-bred cane stalks, better fertilizers, more
> >labor-saving machinery, Cuba has the same land as then...
> >
> >What gives?
> >
> >
> >Brad DeLong