The Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG) published this Wednesday the , a regulation that expands access to the network of retail stores for agricultural producers, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, non-agricultural cooperatives, and self-employed workers who wish to market their products directly.
The resolution, signed by Minister Ydael Jesús Pérez Brito on August 25, 2026, was published in the , pages 150 and 151.
The central change of the regulation consists of the amendment of Article 21 of Chapter III, Section four ("On Retail Marketing"), of Resolution 16/2026, which is the Regulation for the Marketing of Agricultural and Forestry Production.
The new text of the article states that "agricultural and forestry producers, as well as micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, non-agricultural cooperatives, and self-employed workers, can sell their fresh or processed products in the retail network, as long as they have the necessary authorizations and certifications for that purpose."
In addition to that modification, Resolution 161/2026 repeals Article 3.3, Article 4, the entire Chapter VII, and Articles 47 and 48 of the , which was issued on February 2, 2026.
The regulation itself justifies the change in "the economic and social transformations approved, among which are those aimed at promoting agricultural recovery."
The resolution takes effect seven business days after its publication in the Official Gazette.
The regulation is based on Law 148 on Food Sovereignty and Food and Nutritional Security, enacted in May 2022, and on the "On the Marketing of Agricultural and Forestry Products," which at the time ended the exclusive monopoly of the state company Acopio and opened that market to non-state actors.
Resolution 161/2026 is published on the same day as a comprehensive agricultural legislative package included in Gaceta No. 75, led by the concerning property, possession, succession, and use of land and agricultural assets, approved by the National Assembly on July 29, 2026.
Also included in that package is the , signed by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz on July 23, 2026, which introduced agreed pricing between contractual parties and differentiated rates for certified organic products and those from agroecological guarantee systems.
The Gaceta No. 75 contains a total of 19 regulations, including resolutions from the MINAG regarding the slaughter and marketing of beef and equine meat, exportation of plant health items, importation of plants and veterinary medicine, making this edition the most extensive agricultural regulatory reform published in Cuba during 2026.
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