Cuban eastern province develops project to increase coffee and cocoa cultivation

HOLGUIN, Cuba, Feb 28 (ACN) The province of Holguin implements the Agroforestry Cooperative Development Project (PRODECAFE by its Spanish acronym), aimed at increasing mainly the farming of coffee and cocoa in strategic areas of the eastern region of Cuba.

This program is planned to be carried out in rural areas of the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo and Holguin, with the co-sponsorship of entities such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agroforestry Business Group and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) of the United Nations Organization as financial entity.

The projections in the case of Holguin will be focused on the areas where the largest plantations of these crops are located in the province and 22 Credit and Service Cooperatives (CCS) will be favored with its implementation.

Manuel Duany Garzon, senior mechanical specialist of the company of Talleres Agropecuarios and member of this project in the province, told the Cuban News Agency that PRODECAFE's objectives include increasing the production and productivity of coffee, cocoa and other agricultural products to achieve sustainable development and improve the standard of living of rural families in these localities, as well as encouraging the inclusion of women in the agro-forestry activity.

To carry out the planned actions, he said, the cooperatives will be provided with agricultural implements and means of transportation, and the motorization of equipment and the installation of irrigation systems, which will be set up in accordance with the protection of the environment through the use of renewable energy sources and devices, will also be made viable.