Cuban leader calls for gradual elimination of food rationing

Cuban leader calls for gradual elimination of food rationing
April 17, 2011

Cuba will gradually cease the distribution of subsidized food through
ration cards as part of an ambitious five-year economic adjustment plan,
Cuban President Raul Castro said in Havana Saturday.

Inaugurating the Sixth Congress of Cuba's Communist Party, Castro said
eliminating the ration cards is a necessity for the country because the
economy "cannot stand that charge."

Before a complete removal of the rationing system, he said, it is
necessary to increase the national food production.

Abolishing the current food rationing system was one of the most debated
issues among Cubans prior to Saturday's congress, Castro said.

Other issues worrying the population include the deficiency of public
transport, education, the quality of the health services, low wages and
the unification of the country's dual currencies.

Two generations of Cubans were born after the introduction of the ration
cards in the 1960s, Castro recalled.

He stressed that "nobody in his sane mind" would think about eliminating
the ration cards without taking into account the need to meet the
domestic demand.

The ration system was established to protect the people from
speculation, but it has now become an obstacle to incenting the
individual effort, Castro said.

The government said Friday the planned expenditure for food imports this
year will hike 25 percent due to the rising prices on the international
markets. The figure represents an extra payment of 308 million U.S. dollars.

Cuba spends about 1.5 billion dollars per year importing food,
especially grains like rice and beans, chicken and oil, some of which
are sold at highly subsidized prices.

Raul Castro's government has taken a series of measures to promote the
domestic food production since he replaced his elder brother Fidel and
took office in 2006.

The most far-reaching reform to date has been in the agricultural
sector, where Raul Castro has decentralized decision-making. Farmers are
paid more for their crops and are allowed to sell part of their crops
freely.

Source: Xinhua

Tag: Agriculture

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