Cuba sends experts to Guyana to enhance sugarcane cultivation as its sugar industry struggles
Cuba’s sugar industry faces a severe crisis due to outdated machinery, fuel shortages, and minimal investment, with only 15 operational mills producing a historic low of 350,000 tons in the 2022-2023 harvest. Despite this, Cuban engineers are assisting Guyana’s sugar sector by introducing mechanization and modern farming techniques. This contrast underscores Cuba’s internal challenges while its experts drive agricultural progress abroad. The government’s limited measures, including higher sugarcane prices and debt renegotiations, have failed to revive the struggling industry.
While the sugar industry in Cuba faces a historic collapse, with minimal yields and a clear inability to meet the basic needs of its population, the regime prioritizes sending experts to other countries.
In Guyana, a group of 20 Cuban engineers, including Arturo Proenza García from Puerto Padre, is working on the implementation of modern technologies to optimize sugarcane planting and sugar production, achieving positive results at the Albion Sugar Estate, reported the state-run station Radio Libertad on its Facebook profile.
Although production in Guyana is mostly manual, Cuban specialists are introducing techniques such as wide-row planting, fertilization, the use of herbicides, and mechanization, contributing to increased agricultural yields in areas designated for mechanized harvesting.
They are also developing demonstration areas and machinery, such as a plow currently undergoing testing in local workshops, noted the state-run broadcaster.
“Arturo Proenza García, along with a team of Cuban experts, is achieving positive results at the Albion Sugar Estate in Guyana, which processes over 4,000 tons, with 94% done manually and 6% mechanized,” stated Radio Libertad.
The irony is evident: while Cuban engineers abroad are driving significant advancements, in Cuba, the industry that was once its national emblem teeters on the brink of collapse, unable to even ensure the basic quota of sugar for its citizens.
This contrast highlights the regime’s erratic priorities, leaving Cubans to face scarcity and economic deterioration in their own country.
However, this is not the first time that the regime has been the focus of such absurd ironies. Last April, the government of Guyana hired a group of Cuban engineers to revitalize its country’s electrical system, while Cuba was grappling with a severe energy crisis.
In contrast, while the amount of sugar available to Cubans through rationed products continues to decrease, the regime carried out a sugar harvest with only 15 operational mills, highlighting the deep crisis affecting the sector.
Nonetheless, Salvador Valdés Mesa, Vice President of the Republic, emphasized during a plenary session held in Havana last October the need for sugar workers to remain committed and assured that the working class “will not fail the Revolution,” as reported by the state newspaper Trabajadores.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Crisis in Cuba’s Sugar Industry
Why is the Cuban sugar industry in crisis?
Cuba’s sugar industry is facing a historic crisis due to lack of investment, aging machinery, fuel shortages, and adverse weather conditions. These factors have significantly reduced production, leaving Cuba far from its historical levels as one of the world’s leading sugar
What is the current situation of sugar production in Cuba?
Currently, only 15 sugar mills are operational in Cuba for the upcoming harvest, reflecting the deep crisis in the sector. Production has declined drastically, and the 2022-2023 harvest was the worst since 1898, with only 350,000 tons of sugar produced, far below the planned amount.
What measures is the Cuban government taking to address the sugar crisis?
The Cuban government has highlighted the need for investments in the sugar sector to enhance yields. However, current measures, such as increasing sugarcane prices and renegotiating debts, have not succeeded in reversing the critical situation of the sector, which requires more profound structural changes.
How does the export of Cuban experts to other countries affect the internal situation?
The regime’s decision to send experts to other countries, such as Guyana, to advise on sugar production reflects an erratic prioritization that neglects the internal needs of Cuba. Despite the progress made abroad, the Cuban sugar industry remains on the brink of collapse, unable to guarantee the basic sugar quota for its citizens.
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Source : Ciber Cuba
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