Cuban Cattle in a Crucial Time

Several provinces finished 2015 with the commitment of distributing milk to the industry despite the serious drought affecting the island.

The increase of the production was due to the hike in the prices in the purchase of the milk to the producers which was an issue discussed during the 11th Congress of the Small Farmers Association, ANAP, and an increase in rain.

The efforts also contribute in reducing the States´ annual imports of powdered milk to guarantee the basic needs of the Cuban family.

According to several news articles from the Cuban News Agency work was supported by planting animal feed based on different plants called morera, moringa and others in addition to the construction of water wells for cattle.

Las Tunas, Sancti Spiritus, special municipality of Isle of Youth, Villa Clara and Artemisa have shown favorable results in this type of work.

The most critical period in the production and delivery of milk experienced in the cattle sector in the province of Holguin is now showing signs of improvement and is currently in conditions of over producing the state commitment of industrial processing in the sector increasing to 13 million liters, says experts.

On its part the cattle ranchers in Ciego de Avila have closed in to the annual plan of distributing 12 million liters of milk to the industry which is inefficient compared to other stages where they have reached 16 million liters.

Meanwhile, there is bad management of the cattle in Camaguey inflicting in health problems and increasing the number of deaths to the animals among other issues that provoke a reduction of registries due to deficiencies without knowing the material restrictions.

Milk production in the territory has decreased in recent years and in 2015 for example there was more than 4 million liters less compared to the sales plan of the producers to the processing industry.

To counter the low yielding in the Cuban capital in the Basic Cooperative Production Center and others a series of measures have been taken like the monthly analysis of the plan , control visits to the centers that are not complying with their proposals and discussions with the board of director meetings as well as workers and cooperative members.

Strategies aimed at development, reproduction and genetic improvement of the cattle is among the priorities in the country.

An investment process is underway to support the program which is a priority for the Ministry of Agriculture aimed at rescuing the cattle ranch, refrigeration installations, wells, routes and equipment aimed at increasing the milk and beef contributions to the industry.