Cubans line up for chance to use idle state land

Cubans line up for chance to use idle state land
The Associated Press
2:14 PM EDT, September 17, 2008

HAVANA - Cuba has begun accepting applications from private farmers --
both with and without experience -- who want to till idle government land.

President Raul Castro is struggling to revive Cuba's mismanaged
agriculture sector and is hoping the private farmers will raise more
food than state cooperatives have been able to.

The land reform allows individual Cubans to farm up to 100 acres (40
hectares) apiece. It was announced in July, but Cuba pushed up the start
to Wednesday after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike destroyed much of Cuba's
food production.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/cuba/sfl-0917cuba,0,1267012.story