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The Turquino Vegetable Canning Company, located in the city of Holguín, will allocate fried tomatoes and guava paste to dollar stores managed by TRD Caribe, while the majority of Cubans face increasing difficulties in accessing basic food items.
The official newspaper Granma published the news on Friday as a productive achievement, without mentioning the paradox that, amid the worst food crisis in decades, the production of preserves is directed towards commercial circuits that are inaccessible to most Cubans.
Yolaine González Verdecia, Technical Director of Development and Quality at the company, confirmed the agreement and detailed that the products will be packaged in doypack bags, flexible and sturdy, designed to keep the food fresh.
According to the company itself, the contracts with Cuban stores that sell food products in dollars are part of Turkey's commercial strategy.
The company also plans to soon offer ground and whole cumin, as well as mayonnaise, in similar containers or ones suitable for ensuring the safety of the contents.
The official argument to justify these decisions has been consistent. In August 2025, the Minister of Food Industry, Alberto López Díaz, defended the sale of products in dollars as a means to sustain food production, stating that it “brings benefits to the population.”
The context in which this agreement is made is devastating. According to recent surveys, 80% of Cubans believe that the current situation is worse than that of the Special Period, while the rice production in Ciego de Ávila has collapsed by 59.1%, illustrating the widespread collapse of Cuban agriculture.
"The foreign currency generated from sales to TRD Caribe will be used for the revitalization of the company," justified the management of Turquino in a statement that reflects the priority of the Cuban state: to support the productive apparatus with hard currency income, while the majority of the population cannot access the products that this very apparatus produces.
In March, the station CMKX Radio Bayamo highlighted the work of the Yara Canning Factory in Granma province, which is dedicated to processing large volumes of tomatoes but has seen very high prices in recent years.
However, one of the most frequently repeated messages sarcastically commented on the possible commercial fate of the product. “Now we package it and sell it in stores for USD,” wrote the user Sabiel Batista, referencing the practice of selling food in establishments that operate with foreign currency, at astronomical prices for the average workers on the island.
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