ALBA modernizes rice mills in Camagüey

By:Lucilo Tejera Díaz

[With the ALBA competition investments are executed in rice mills of Camagüey to achieve a serial with more quality]

The Bolivarian Alliance for the Towns of Our America (ALBA) develops the modernization of two rice mills in the county of Camagüey in order to improve them technologically and to elevate its efficiency.

Honorio Saavedra Silva, subdirector of the Agroindustrial Complex Ruta Invasora, said that one of the industries already executed some investments with the installation of new shelling, dense tables separate the grain with shell, commonly call "male") and a revolving clarifier.

It is expected that at the end of the current year or principles of the coming one the ALBA acquires abroad, teams of refined, which will complete the program of benefit.

At the beginning of the 2010 the works will be undertaken in the other plant, located in this city.

This modernization is of about eight millions 400 thousand dollars financed by the mentioned organization to motivate the rice production of the county.

The efficiency that report in the current crop averages to 68 percent, according to Saavedra, indicator that rose thanks to the investments and when it concludes the program should surpass 70 percent.

Those two industries, installed in the first half of last century, stay in operation thanks to under the care of the teams, the innovation and the rehabilitation and construction of pieces for its workers.

In the 2009 those mills should process more than 30 thousand tons of the grain and to achieve some polished 21 thousand tons dedicated to the national balance of foods that represent 56 percent of the social consumption approximately and of the family basket in the county of Camagüey.

Cuba needs some 700 thousand tons of the grain annually, and in the last two years came closer at the 200 thousand.

The rice program financed by the ALBA that benefits to the whole country, allowed to count in the "Ruta Invasora" with new machines croppers and tractors for the earth preparation.