What will the basic basket for September in Villa Clara contain?: "They expect decisions"

After the Minister of Domestic Trade of Cuba, Betsy Díaz Velázquez, stated before official media that during the month of September, Cubans will stop receiving coffee and oil, there are shortages in the distribution of sugar and the pounds of the remaining items will not be completed for another consecutive month, the authorities of that sector in Villa Clara assured that they "expect decisions regarding the products that will be included in the basic basket" for the current month.

This was reported by the official broadcaster CMHW, which informed that "in recent hours the distribution of the seven pounds of rice from the basic basket for August has concluded, two for free and five at the established retail price."

It was not until the end of August that the residents of Villa Clara received 10 ounces of beans and 20 of peas that were still pending, according to the report.

They also informed them that the free distribution of a package of pasta for each consumer has started in the municipality of Caibarién and that it will gradually extend to the rest of the municipalities.

For underweight children, pregnant women, and vulnerable individuals registered with Social Assistance, they said they will deliver a free food package.

The uncertainty in the arrival of the so-called "mandados," those products regulated by the government through the rationing booklet, is a constant month after month on the island.

Last Saturday, August 31, Díaz Velázquez explained that in Cuba "we do not have any oil or coffee planned for the month of September, just as there was none in August."

Another affected product is sugar, as the government continues to be unable to resolve the shortage, one of the most in-demand items, especially at the start of the school year and for students' snacks. According to reports, alternatives such as the importation of some volumes are being sought.

Apparently, what Cubans residing on the island are definitely going to have this ninth month of the year is salt and peas, although there are variations regarding the first one depending on the area of the country where the consumer resides.

Since the beginning of the year, the delays with the food basket have been a recurring topic among the population. Minister Díaz Velázquez tried to justify it last May on the television program Mesa Redonda.

In his words, three or four years ago, at the beginning of each month, the product was in the warehouses; now it is necessary to "unload the ships, transport them to the provincial capitals, then they are moved to the municipalities, and then they go to the network of warehouses. (...) It is very difficult to manage the timelines when you depend solely on imports."

In his opinion, the responsibility lies with the work of the ports, the distribution mechanisms, and even the weather; meanwhile, the population suffers due to the decrease in quality, delays of several months in deliveries, the substitution of milk with other products; and the delays in the distribution of food for vulnerable groups such as meat for children and pregnant women.