The Logistics Business Group of the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture (GELMA) began on Friday the transfer of the tractors that the government will begin to sell to farmers in freely convertible currency.
The company announced on its social networks the transportation of the vehicles with their kits to agricultural supply stores in seven provinces of the country.
"These are the first 14 tractors that come through the negotiation of a consignment that TRANSIMPORT has, destined for agricultural producers, which will be followed by 10 more for the same purpose," the entity explained on its Facebook wall.
"They are small power tractors, 32 horsepower, and 80 (3) and 82 (3) horsepower. The latter have air-conditioned cabins," he explained.
According to GELMA, this first fleet is directed only to the provinces where there have been requests from agricultural producers: Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, Santiago de Cuba and Granma.
"These are the provinces that have been prioritized based on the requests we have received," he stressed.
The company listed the requirements to be able to acquire the machinery, which are to have the financing, pay by magnetic card and present a document from the municipal delegate of agriculture at the shopping center that certifies the condition of the agricultural worker.
"This documentation must include the name and surname of the producer, identification card number and proof of the amount of land he or she has. However, there is no limitation on the number of hectares to be able to purchase the tractor; anyone who owns two hectares may purchase of land like someone who owns 20," GELMA stated in her post.
Several people commented on the post and specifically asked about the sales price of the tractors.
"Please publish the prices of the tractors so that they can have an idea and the ways to request," asked an Internet user.
"Please, the price to draw conclusions from each person's capacity," demanded another.
"Tractors in MLC, what Cuban peasant will be able to purchase them, I think none. If the government does not give credits to make the purchase, where are we going to get dollars to purchase them. Well, only people who live in the United States and have bought farms in Cuba in the name of supposed owners who give their name and live on the farms for a house and salary, farms that apparently belong to them although their owners live outside of Cuba," said a young woman from Villa Clara.
A resident in the capital said that the blue tractor is worth 27,000 MLC and the red one is 14,000 MLC.
"With these prices, then I have hope that my great-great-grandchildren will be able to purchase one if I start saving. How long will the abuse last?" questioned a doctor from Holguin.
"Brother, it's abusive. They say that BANDEC is going to give credit at 1 for 24. It's like Elpidio Valdés says: that should be seen," answered the person who reported the prices.
Neither does the newspaperGranma, which announced the sale of these first 14 tractors, offered no information on their market value.
"That all seems to be secret, I don't see a clear price anywhere," said one Internet user.
"Likewise... secret or false, God knows," another responded.
A small farmer questioned the sale of tractors if the government has greatly increased the price of other fundamental resources for agricultural work, such as water and electricity.
"Take out your accounts, when you pay now you are going to be left out of pocket and ask for credit, which is what they want," he stressed.
A musician advocated coordinating appropriate policies with local governments so that the work of farmers is not ruined. "And that agricultural production does not rot and end up in pigpens," he added.
In January the regime announced thesale of tractors to farmers in freely convertible currency, and assured that about 2 thousand customers had visited GELMA establishments interested in this equipment.
In mid-October, the Minister of Economy and Planning, Alejandro Gil Fernández, said that the government would begin to market inputs for agricultural production in the country in MLC.
"We are going totake the step with the equipment, tractors, little by little we will supply that market to the extent that we can make those sales. What mechanisms are we using for those sales? Fundamentally, imported consignment merchandise," he noted.
Gil Fernández then explained that the suppliers "put us in the country with the tractors that we sell on consignment, and we pay them when we sell them. With the currency we obtain we pay the supplier and they put more tractors and that's how we supply, through the consignment, without having to previously make a capital outlay or an advance".
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