The Mechanical Company Heroes of July 26 (Holmeca), located in Holguín, is currently in the assembly process of 24 Belarus tractors with 80 horsepower for subsequent marketing. This operation also aims to expand its business and gain easier access to the foreign currency market both inside and outside of Cuba.
The information was published this Tuesday by Cubadebate based on a report from the Cuban News Agency (ACN), which presented the project as part of the economic transformations currently being implemented in the country.
The 24 units correspond to Belarus MTZ tractors and are assembled through a cooperative production between Holmeca and the Commercial Company Divep from Holguín, after technicians from the Cuban factory received training in Belarus.
Juan Cardet Bruzón, head of the technical department at Holmeca, explained that the new MTZ models have 80 horsepower, include some modern updates, and are divided into three main systems: mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical.
The project is not limited to the assembly of the machines. Ramón Pifferrer Martínez, commercial director of Holmeca, explained that the agreement facilitates "access to the foreign currency market, both within and outside the national territory", in addition to opening up opportunities for new partnerships and expanding the customer base.
The source does not specify, however, that the 24 tractors will be sold exclusively in foreign currency, nor does it detail the price at which they will be marketed or who will be able to purchase them.
The current batch is part of a process that has been in preparation for months.
In June, the ACN reported that Divep was importing components so that Holmeca could assemble tractors intended for subsequent commercialization in the eastern region.
The operation also included tillage machinery, engine kits, harrows, rice harvesters, and other equipment for various sectors.
The experience did not begin in 2026 either. In December 2024, the newspaper Trabajadores reported that Holmeca had assembled 12 MTZ tractors with 35 horsepower from Belarus and expected to complete another 36 units later on.
That production had begun following negotiations that started in late 2023 during the Havana International Fair.
On the other hand, the new batch of 24 units arrives at a particularly challenging time for Cuban agriculture.
In May, leaders from the sector themselves acknowledged that the lack of fuel and resources had forced the recovery of the use of oxen, windmills, and other low-tech alternatives to sustain certain productions.
Additionally, the assembly of Belarusian machinery is also linked to the long-standing economic relationship between Cuba and Belarus.
In April, Minsk extended the compensated trade exchange agreement through which Cuba supplies pharmaceutical products in exchange for vehicles, agricultural machinery, medical devices, and other Belarusian goods.
That mechanism had already facilitated the arrival of MTZ tractors to the island and represents one of the avenues of economic cooperation that both governments have maintained despite Cuba's financial difficulties and the international sanctions imposed on Belarus.
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