Cuban government assures that delivery of powdered milk is “guaranteed” in March and April

The government assured this Friday thatThe distribution of powdered milk in Cuba “will be guaranteed” during March and April, an announcement that could bring some peace of mind to the population, after in Februaryfood was stopped being delivered to thousands of children in the country, which caused discomfort and protests from Cuban mothers and fathers.

Alberto Lopez Diaz, Minister of the Food Industry, reported in a press conference thatmilk has already begun to be distributed, after what he called “serious difficulties with the product,” avoiding mention of the mostrecent crisis with dairy, one more within themajor crisis that Cuba is experiencing in all areas, in recent years.

López indicated that375 tons of food arrived at the country's ports, from Brazil, and the arrival of other shipments is expected, which “will guarantee stability for children from zero to six years old.” Only children of those ages are guaranteed the delivery of milk in a rationed manner by the so-called supply book.

According to López, “In the country, around 2,000 tons of milk powder are needed monthly to guarantee the regulated family basket for minors, pregnant women,diets and social consumption,” media outlets reported.Cuban official press.

However, the official assured that "there is a guarantee in import contracts, which will arrive gradually to satisfy that demand."

Lopez,appointed by the Council of State to the position at the beginning of February, did not fail to mention the “effort” of the government to guarantee food, this being the function and responsibility of the authorities of the country, where basic foods, such as milk, are delivered in a regulated manner to citizens.

The minister reiterated a fact that is already known: “the contracted fresh milk collection plan is not being fulfilled” in the provinces, although “some managed to distribute this product, both to the dairy industry and directly from the producers to the wineries of the Ministry of Interior Commerce, and they did not feel the lack of precious food," according to a report from theCuban News Agency.

According to the official, “there were provinces with the capacity to produce fresh milk that managed to distribute it to minors from six months to six years without problems,” however, he said that the situation became “complex” in other territories during February.

The minister assured that the stability in the distribution that he promised for the current month and the next will be possible due to the new contracts and the "interest of the country's highest leadership in such a sensitive issue," despite - he justified - that "the Powdered milk is sold at high prices in the international market.”

Lastly, he referred to the“dairy formula” that was delivered to replace milk in several provinces as a “food alternative”, but had to admit that “it does not have the amount of protein that milk should have.”

The milk issue in Cuba hit rock bottom in recent weeks, due to the delay in distribution to children who receive the food, both in powder and liquid, dating back to last year.The protests of Cuban mothers have been constant, in demand of a food that is essential in the diet of minors.

The Minister of Internal Trade,Betsy Díaz Rodríguez admitted in the middle of the month that children from six months to two years old had not received milk since last February 5, but assured that the government was working with available production and looking for alternatives with micro, small and medium-sized companies (MSMEs), so that they could incorporate their inventories into the basic basket.

Díaz stated that "the country's livestock potential does not guarantee the supply of milk" and "only Sancti Spíritus, Villa Clara and Camagüey guarantee the consumption of fresh milk in their territories."

He added that there are provinces like Las Tunas, for example, where there are two municipalities that only deliver half a liter of milk daily and others where half a liter is distributed every two days.

Currently, the government delivers milk to 73,070 children in the country's warehouse network, through the supply book.