Cuba boasts a giant pumpkin and pig ships, but social media reacts with sarcasm: “The table says otherwise.”

While thousands of Cubans continue to face impossible prices and a scarcity that is felt every day in the kitchen, official media in the municipality of Maisí, Guantánamo, are trying to sell an image of agricultural "advancement" that has ended up provoking mockery, outrage, and comments filled with irony on social media.

In recent posts on Facebook, the state broadcaster Radio Maisí celebrated the harvest of a “delicious pumpkin” weighing about 22 pounds, presented as an example of the “quality” of the local farmers.

In another post, they also boasted that several ships intended for the pig farming program are now ready, along with areas for producing animal feed, assuring that these facilities will allow for "optimizing breeding" and ensuring a "balanced and quality" feed as part of the so-called food sovereignty.

Rather than applauding, numerous users responded with sarcasm, annoyance, and hopelessness. Some recalled that Maisí was always a productive land but questioned that what is harvested "doesn't stay in the municipality," ending up in the hands of leaders or sent to other destinations while the local population remains underserved.

Others were more direct, pointing out that images of facilities and harvests do not change everyday reality. "The village's table and refrigerator tell a completely different story," commented one person, reflecting the sentiment of many who do not see real improvements in their food situation despite the institutional propaganda.

There were even those who openly mocked the idea that with those pig vessels, the people would finally eat meat, in a country where pork has become a luxury.

The swine crisis: from record to collapse

The discomfort is not coincidental. Cuba is experiencing one of the worst crises in its recent history regarding pig production. Data released by official sources recognize that, compared to the record achieved in 2018—when the country produced over 200,000 tons—production has fallen by nearly 90%.

In 2024, only a little over 9,000 tons of pork were produced, a trivial amount for a country where this food has historically been at the center of the family table, according to a report by the state newspaper Granma.

The result is visible in every neighborhood: meat is gone, markets are empty, and prices have skyrocketed, surpassing a thousand pesos per pound in some places, out of reach for most people.

Although the authorities insist that the problem is related to the lack of imported feed and the rising international costs of inputs like corn and soy, many Cubans see another equally serious issue: the complete disconnect between the official discourse and reality.