Cuba invested in genetic modification to increase its crop yields - but European opposition to GM has sabotaged this noble attempt to marry socialism and scientific progress.
In message <3909BAEB.6DABDEF1 at mb.sympatico.ca>, Ken Hanly
<khanly at mb.sympatico.ca> writes
>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
>
-- Jim heartfield