In the midst of the worst agricultural crisis in decades, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel announced a series of measures on Friday aimed at revitalizing food production, easing access to supplies, and attracting investments to the agricultural sector.
The initiatives are part of the Economic and Social Program for 2026, submitted for public consultation at the end of 2025 and reviewed, as stated by the president, with Cuban and international experts, in addition to the use of artificial intelligence tools and references to the experiences of countries like China and Vietnam.
The announcement comes in a context marked by the collapse of national food production, the increase in imports, and a growing food insecurity affecting millions of Cubans.
More powers for those who cultivate the land
The central focus of the reforms announced by Díaz-Canel is to provide greater support to state, cooperative, and private producers in an attempt to reverse years of productive decline.
According to the explanation, the new measures aim to stimulate and recover agricultural production by:
- The allocation of land to those who can truly make it productive.
- The reduction of idle land.
- The increase in agricultural productivity.
- The simplification of procedures related to agricultural activities.
The ruler assured that new powers will be granted for the use of land with the goal of achieving "the lowest level of idle land" and "the highest levels of productivity".
Access to supplies, foreign currency, and the foreign exchange market
One of the most significant announcements is related to producers' access to resources that have been a major obstacle to production for years.
According to Díaz-Canel, farmers will be able to:
- Accessing input markets in national currency.
- Buy supplies in foreign currency.
- Participate in the foreign exchange market.
- Open real currency accounts at Cuban banks.
"So that the producer can also access supply markets, both in foreign currency and in national currency; so that the producer can also access the exchange market," he stated.
The measures would include state, cooperative, private producers, and even projects linked to foreign investment.
More partnerships and openness to foreign investment
The plan also aims to facilitate cooperation among the various economic actors involved in food production.
According to the president, conditions will be created for state producers, cooperatives, private entities, and foreign investors to establish partnerships and joint projects.
Díaz-Canel stated that all productive actors will be able to "interrelate, and can form associations among themselves," and confirmed that foreign investment will also be able to directly participate in food production.
The stated intention is to promote new business models that can increase national production in the shortest time possible.
Less bureaucracy for production
Another of the announced promises is the reduction of administrative obstacles that have traditionally affected the agricultural sector.
The leader stated that the aim is to expedite:
- The creation of businesses.
- The approval of agricultural projects.
- The procedures related to agricultural production.
The goal, he said, is to have "the least delay possible, and as little paperwork and bureaucracy as possible."
The new Land Law expands usufruct, but maintains limits
The announced measures are complemented by the Agricultural and Forestry Land Bill published this week by the regime.
The regulation extends usufruct contracts to up to 25 years, renewable, and raises the maximum limits for certain agricultural activities to 268 hectares.
However, it maintains significant restrictions on land ownership and circulation:
- Leasing remains prohibited.
- The State retains the right of first refusal on any transfer.
- Private property remains limited to 67.10 hectares per holder.
The publication of the project coincided with the announcement of the dissolution of the Ministry of Agriculture, which would be replaced by a new Ministry of Food and Agriculture, responsible for integrating agriculture, sugar, fishing, and the food industry.
The stated objective: Achieving food sovereignty
Díaz-Canel affirmed that all these transformations pursue a common objective: to reduce external food dependence and increase domestic production.
According to him, the new business models and the anticipated flexibilizations should enable Cuba to "achieve food sovereignty and become self-sufficient in food production."
A sector plunged into a historic crisis
The measures come at a time when Cuban agriculture is facing one of its most critical moments.
- Rice production dropped from 304,000 tons in 2018 to 111,000 tons in 2025.
- The root vegetables decreased by 44%.
- Egg production fell by 43%.
- Milk prices fell by 37.6%.
- In 2024, the agricultural sector recorded a 53% decline in its primary production.
Cuba continues to import between 70% and 80% of the food it consumes, at a cost nearing 2 billion dollars annually.
Meanwhile, the independent survey In Cuba There is Hunger 2025 revealed that 33.9% of households had at least one member who went to bed hungry in the last month, and independent organizations have warned of a chronic humanitarian emergency related to food.
In several provinces, farmers have reported that they must exchange food for fuel to maintain their crops, while others have returned to using oxen and windmills due to the shortage of supplies and machinery.
Promises in the Face of a Growing Crisis
Although the government presents the new measures as a profound transformation aimed at rescuing food production, they still need to be approved by the Political Bureau and the National Assembly next July.
The announcement comes after years of sustained decline in agricultural production and in a context where many of the obstacles identified by the producers themselves—lack of inputs, bureaucracy, trade restrictions, and limitations on land—remain a direct responsibility of the state economic model.
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