When the rice grows…is because it is recoved

By: Ernesto Pantaleón Medina / Television Camagüey

For any housewife or kitchen chef, when the rice “ grows” means that in the cooking process the grain size increases, what satisfies most of those who consume this food.

However, in terms of the agriculture, the growth means to increase the areas dedicated to the seed, cultivation and harvests of the cereal, main base of the diet of the Cubans, as well as it is of many other populations of the world, and not only in Asia, as some they believe.

In the years of the called “Special Period” the areas that were devoted to the rice in Camagüey, located to the south of the county, in low floors very near the coast, decreased sensibly, due to the economic restrictions that took at near levels to zero the fuels for the seed and the watering of herbicides and fertilizers with which such extensions were assisted (thousands of hectares) and that were applied in it biggest part by means of airplanes.

The own crop, very automated, suffered severe affectations for concept of lacks of replacements, lubricant and petroleum.

However, in spite of the blockade and of the economic crisis that damage the agricultural development of the country without doubts, a recovery of the fields is evidenced and for example, for the present year the purpose of the state entity to position, the Agroindustrial Complex “Ruta Invasora”, it is to plant around 9 000 hectares, while with the denominated strategy of “popularization” that is to give small parcels to the population to produce rice, plan to complete some l3 500.

This variant contributed the past 2008 more than 7 000 tons that the company bought to the private sector to process them industrially and then to distribute in the Family Basic Basket or through the markets.

The county of Camagüey has advanced in the employment of appropriate varieties to our agricultural conditions, of floors and climatic. An experimental station applies scientific advances linked directly to the production of the cereal.

It is expected soon, product of arisen agreements of the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America, an improvement of the industry, specifically in mills and dry whose technology demands renovation. As for the crop means and shot, are already observed in the fields of the combined south of Camagüey of court, and modern tractors.

In summary that against what the sceptic could think, those disbelieved and the pessimists, our rice grows; of course, first in the furrows, and then in the pots.