Cuba pushes for production of idle land

AP
Cuba pushes for production of idle land
Monday September 15, 3:40 pm ET
Cuba rushes to get idle state land into private hands after hurricanes
damage crops

HAVANA (AP) -- Cuba says it will speed up plans to give private farmers
and cooperatives idle plots of government land as it rushes to produce
food after a pair of hurricanes ravaged island crops.

The Agriculture Ministry said Monday in a statement that it will begin
accepting applications for the government land beginning Wednesday. The
measure was announced in July, but the start date was not given at the time.

The government was already trying to revive flagging food production
when Hurricanes Ike and Gustav struck this month.

Since taking over from his brother Fidel, Raul Castro has opened more
unused state land to private farmers, legalized cell phones for ordinary
citizens and allowed some workers to seek legal title to their homes.

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