The Loneliness of the Tobacco Growers

The Loneliness of the Tobacco Growers / 14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar

Posted on July 6, 2014



Reinaldo Escobar, Pinar del Rio, 5 July 2014



The tobacco growers of San Juan y Martinez listened — between

astonishment and helplessness – to the National Assembly debates. They

expected that their difficulties and the problems of payment would be

addressed during the discussions of some committee. They were disappointed.



In the Rafael Morán, cooperative, located in the town of San Juan y

Martinez, frustration spread among the farmers. Just weeks earlier, the

producers had been visited by a representative of the National

Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), representatives of the Communist

Party in the town, and several members of the National Tabacuba

Business. The tobacco farmers expressed their difficulties and

complaints to these officials.



The meeting was part of the government campaign called "We're going for

more …" whose visible face was Vice President Jose Ramon Machado

Ventura. The State offensive to improve production led to these meetings

between the producers and the authorities of the sector. In the meetings

the feeling of many producers emerged, some of which asserted publicly

that "If there's no change in the price of tobacco, it is going to be

very difficult."



Among the main complaints expressed by the tobacco farmers was the

discrepancy between the real costs of producing tobacco and the price

that the state companies pay for dried tobacco. According to the

official figures, it should cost a farmer 1.255 Cuban pesos (CUP) to

produce 100 pounds of tobacco, but in reality the costs far exceed the

official estimate.



Even the slightest setback so that leads the tobacco harvest to being

considered "affected," which lowers its price and leaves the producer in

arrears. The disagreement with the payments made by State, the only

permitted buyer, for the so-called "affected tobacco," also showed up at

the meeting. This supposedly damaged raw material is used industrially

in the production of cigarettes. In the case of the plantations of San

Juan y Martinez, the "affected leaves" are excellent quality and quality

cigars and cigarettes can be made with them.



"It brings in great wealth in hard currency, and yet the peasant loses,"

the producer laments.



The State standards establish that tobacco is "affected" if it doesn't

have good colors nor an adequate constitution to be considered high

quality. But this doesn't justify the paltry price of 345 Cuban pesos

(CUP) per 100 pounds, established by the official valuation. If a farmer

has the least amount affected, then he loses all the economic support

that could pay for the crop. For its part, the State gets huge

dividends, especially in the international market.



Hence, the concern of these tobacco growers on seeing that the National

Assembly hasn't been informed that there is no review process for the

popularly called "purchase law." The absence of any discussion of this

subject made the growers feel cheated and forgotten. In the case of

Pinar del Rio the prices are higher than in other provinces, so the

dissatisfaction is higher in other tobacco-growing regions of the country.



"We haven't seen our demands reflected," claims Néstor Pérez González.

"We also discussed the situation of poverty in the area, which is

reflected in the farmers' standard of living and doesn't reflect the

fact that this municipality exceed its tobacco production goals," the

farmer says.



During the conversation Néstor Pérez expressed his concern without

restraint." This year has been critical, so we are predicting a worse

economic scenario for the area." The crop damage has been caused by

excessive rainfall during the period. A consequence of this situation is

that the farmers have perceived the injustice of low payments for the

so-called "affected tobacco" more seriously. "It will be affected, but

it brings in great wealth in hard currency, and yet the peasant loses,"

the producer laments.



"The so-called 'cost sheets' that they are offering us are well below

the real costs of production; thus our demand that the prices should be

raised," says Juan Pablo, who combines his tobacco with the growing of

lowers and fruit. The problem greatly affects the cooperatives such as

the Basic Units of Cooperative Production (UBPC).



The tobacco growers have taken the pulse of the situation and feel that

are being left aside. "We had the illusion that the Assembly would

reflect and we would glimpse some change." However, the last

parliamentary session has brought more frustration than hope to the

tobacco growing area of San Juan y Martinez and the mythical Hoyo de

Monterrey.



Source: The Loneliness of the Tobacco Growers / 14ymedio, Reinaldo

Escobar | Translating Cuba -

http://translatingcuba.com/the-loneliness-of-the-tobacco-growers-14ymedio-reinaldo-escobar/