Guantánamo is once again planting potatoes... and reaping failure

Guantánamo once again buried money, time, and effort in its latest attempt to grow potatoes, with minimal yields and part of the harvest lost, which confirmed once again that the crop does not have the real conditions to sustain itself in the province.

In areas like Arroyo Hondo and Chapala, producers achieved between four and five tons per hectare, while the minimum acceptable is around 10 tons, reported the official newspaper Venceremos.

The causes of the disaster are neither a mystery nor a natural fate. It was sown out of season, with insufficient resources, in poorly prepared land, and with virtually nonexistent mechanization. And as has happened time and again in Cuban agriculture, the pattern of improvising first and lamenting later was repeated.

Raúl Díaz Alonso and Jorge Fernández Omaña, two farmers who took on the challenge of planting the tuber on a total of 55 hectares, recounted to the newspaper the ordeal of a poorly directed experiment from the very beginning.

“The seed arrived late, and due to the urgency of planting it as time was running out, the disinfection process was not effective, nor was the required resting period before being placed in the soil,” Díaz explained.

To make matters worse, the soil preparation was rushed, as for planting that root vegetable, "the soil must be prepared at least two months before planting to eliminate the microorganisms that cause diseases."

Fernández recalled that, due to the climatic conditions in Guantánamo, "with the predominance of high temperatures, the optimal time for potato planting should be in November," but "having done it in January, along with the issues with irrigation, led to the total loss of some areas and affected others."

He warned that planting in January exposes the crop to the rains at the end of April, right at the time of harvest, which causes rot due to excess moisture, as happened on both farms.

Díaz added that the rotting problems started shortly after planting and were not resolved with phyto-sanitary treatments, which caused losses of 30 to 35%. The most affected areas were those planted with chopped seeds to yield the planting.

The failure was not just climatic or biological: the mechanization was a disaster. They began planting with a borrowed machine from another province, which was not very functional. The lack of precision forced them to finish the planting manually with a “man going down the furrow with a jolongo full of seeds,” the source noted.

To harvest, they adapted a plow as a "picker," but this left many potatoes buried, which required passing over the same ground twice, resulting in some of the crop being ruined and further reducing the yield, he pointed out.

Despite everything, both producers agreed that it's not about giving up on the potato, but rather about planting it correctly in November, preparing the soil in advance, ensuring proper irrigation, applying the necessary treatments for the crop, and, above all, truly mechanizing the process.

Díaz and Fernández market their production with the agricultural company of their respective municipalities at a price of 54 pesos per pound, which they considered "stimulating." As of April 22, the former had harvested 12 hectares and the latter, seven.

In February, Venceremos asked if the third time would be the charm, regarding “a new experiment with potato cultivation, now with its planting in the plains,” in order to encourage domestic production. Although initial estimates suggested yields of 19.5 tons per hectare, expectations were later lowered “due to instability with irrigation.”

The newspaper recalled that since the mid-1990s, Guantánamo has attempted to cultivate potatoes several times without achieving continuity. During that period, 260 hectares were planted in areas such as Hondones, Jucaral, Caridad de los Indios, Valle de Caujerí, La Jabilla, and Niceto Pérez, with guaranteed inputs and irrigation. Jucaral achieved the best yields, with 23.43 tons per hectare, but overall the results were uneven.

The high cost of transporting supplies to remote areas and the difficulty of mechanizing on mountainous terrain forced the abandonment of the crop. Subsequently, the solution was to send farmers from Guantánamo to grow potatoes in Ciego de Ávila, an experience that also came to an end. The last attempt, three years ago, involved organic potatoes on farms in the highlands, without chemicals or pesticides, but the yields were very low, the media outlet acknowledged.

In Cuba, potatoes have become a symbol, and their arrival each year represents the hope for a more complete dish, an economical alternative, a respite from rice and beans. But what should be a food guarantee has transformed into a symptom of poverty and institutional neglect. In today's Cuba, not even a product that is cultivated and planned months in advance can be ensured with certainty.

The planting season in Ciego de Ávila started with a situation similar to previous campaigns, characterized by delays, a lack of resources, and adverse weather conditions.

In Sancti Spíritus, the so-called “national balance potato,” aimed at ensuring equitable distribution, has fallen victim to production problems, institutional disorganization, and politically motivated decisions lacking technical support, resulting in a new wave of uncertainty and dissatisfaction among the population.

The sale in Santiago de Cuba generated tensions by being limited to three pounds per person, which highlights the deep food crisis facing the island, where basic products like this reach the population in a rationed manner, in minimal quantities, and under a distribution system marked by scarcity and disorganization.

The difference between the official price of 11 pesos per pound and the 150 or 200 pesos (or more) that it sells for in the informal market is yet another example of the failure of the distribution and control system in Cuba.

Without real oversight mechanisms and with informal markets on the rise, potatoes are scarce in state markets and abundant in private hands, at prohibitive prices for most. The very dynamics of the harvest, which requires well-paid labor, push producers to seek more lucrative ways to sell their produce, avoiding the state system.

However, amid the severe food crisis affecting most Cubans, the Cuban government has started selling national potatoes, brand Frutisel, at 8.85 dollars per bag in the Havana supermarket at 3ra y 70, the first one in Cuba to operate exclusively in foreign currencies.

Frequently Asked Questions About Potato Production in Guantánamo