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The Ministry of Food Industry (Minal) of Cuba announced a new investment program that includes the procurement of a production line for wheat mills with a capacity of 400 tons, in an effort to stabilize the supply of flour amid a crisis that is becoming increasingly evident to the population, reported the Cuban News Agency.
The announcement was made by Minister Alberto López Díaz from Holguín, one of the provinces most affected by shortages. There, the official himself acknowledged that the mills require "thorough maintenance" after years without intervention, confirming the accumulated deterioration of a key infrastructure for bread production.
The situation in the eastern part of the country starkly reflects the magnitude of the problem. In several locations, bakeries have had to revert to wood-fired ovens due to a lack of supplies, while the distribution of flour has reached absurd extremes, such as transporting it by mules. Meanwhile, the price of bread in the informal market has reached up to 50 pesos, a figure beyond the reach of a significant portion of the population.
Official figures themselves paint a critical picture. During the first half of 2025, the Ministry of Food Industry only received 55% of the expected wheat, worsening the scarcity throughout the country. Additionally, 17 companies in the sector ended that period with losses, highlighting a structural crisis that goes beyond isolated supply issues.
In this context, the new production line appears within the Foreign Investment Opportunities Portfolio, a clear signal that the government is seeking foreign capital to sustain an industry that cannot be financed with its own resources. Meanwhile, in the daily lives of Cubans, bread —one of the most basic foods— continues to be increasingly scarce and expensive.
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