agriculture2

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND SALES IN CUBA page2

SALES

The sale of agricultural products in Cuba is accomplished in different forms with different prices, depending fundamentally on the source from which the products come.

Among the diversity of establishments that sell this type of product are: the Agricultural Market, the market of the Young Army of Work, the market of controlled prices, the market of the "Ideal" chain, the sales of the parceleros at the place of production (in which we include the organopónicos -- organic gardens), the market of State norms,. and the agricultural fairs.

Agricultural Markets: This is where the individual farmers, the farmer cooperatives (CPA, CCS y UBPC), and sometimes (less than we would like) the State farms sell their products. The prices are set by the law of supply and demand and do not have a fixed maximum. The farmer or the cooperative that sells their products there can use a representative to be the salesperson, and must pay taxes on these sales to the State. The prices in general are high. In the City of Havana there is at least one Agricultural Market per municipality.

An organopónico (organic garden) in the city of Havana. These gardens avert the need to transport fresh vegetables from the countryside.

Market of the Young Army of Work: They have their own market in the City of Havana, but they also sell in the Agricultural Markets and mostly take their products out to sell in the neighborhoods from trucks. Their production emphasizes fruit. The price of their products are relatively low, sometimes they are only 10% of the price of the products in the Agricultural Markets.

Market of Controlled Prices: These are markets established in the different municipalities, related to specific cooperatives (CPA, CCS and UBPC). In these markets, the Councils of Administration of Popular Power of the municipalities establish maximum prices, and the products cannot be sold above these prices. These maximums always are less than the prices of the Agricultural Markets. The products that are sold in these markets are high quality, and fundamentally are fruits, vegetables, root crops, rice, beans, canned goods, and other products.

Markets of the "Ideal" chain: These are State stores where they sell rice, beans, vegetable oil, pork, chicken and other items. The prices of this chain also are less than those in the Agricultural Markets.

Parceleros: These producers sell their products in the same place where they produce them. They do not have to pay taxes so in general their prices are lower. The usual products for sale are vegetables. In this type of sales we generally include the "organopónicos" (organic gardens), which are an interesting form of production, about which we will speak a little. In recent years there has developed what is called "urban agriculture," production which takes place on small parcels of land in the cities. On some of these parcels they actively utilize organic methods, and that's why they are called "organopónicos." Generally the organopónicos are worked by the UBPC. In these organopónicos it is easy to buy newly harvested fresh vegetables, fruits, condiments and other things. The prices are between the Agricultural Market and the State.

Vendors in the Agricultural Market in the city of Regla.

Market of State Norms: These are the markets that sell through the "libreta." Through these markets the State guarantees 15 pounds per month per person of root crops and vegetables and the delivery of the established quotas of rice and beans, all at subsidized prices. ***

Agricultural Fairs: Once a month, usually the last Sunday of every month, there are fairs in all the municipalities of the City of Havana, where individual producers, the cooperatives, and the State bring agricultural products from different regions of the country, including fruits, root crops, vegetables, meats, sausages and other products whixh are sold at low prices and in great quantities.

So now we can see the many different forms of production and sale of agricultural products in Cuba.

*** To learn more about the "libreta" and subsidized prices, click here to visit our page on Food.

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