Cuba to Present New Variety of Rice

Cuba will launch the first bio-fortified rice variety mid year after concluding a 6-year process of extension and evaluation in the island.

In 2003, a rice variety named IACuba-30 was developed from a crossing and genetic selection process at the Cuban Institute of Rice Research in the provinces of Camagüey and Havana. The new crop has high iron and zinc levels, which make it useful for people suffering anaemia.

The crop will be presented on June 19 in the central province of Camagüey, where the largest cultivated lands of rice are located.

Jesus Limia, director of the experimental station in Camaguey’s municipality of Vertientes affiliated to the scientific center, told ACN that IACuba-30 can be grown by non-specialized farmers, because it requires less consumables such as water and fertilizers.

Annually from 200 to 300 hectares of the new rice variety are planted in Camagüey with a yield of 5 to 7 tons per hectare, a rate that is considered good by experts.

Limia mentioned as another advantage of this type of rice is its resistance to pests and diseases that attack the crop. He also noted that it can be adapted to saline soils, with promising results expected in cultivations in the coastal municipalities of Nuevitas (north coast
of Camaguey) and Santa Cruz del Sur (south coast of Camaguey).

From the industrial point of view, Limia said that 65% of the processed rice is entire, which means that the grain doesn’t break easily. It can be cooked easily and tastes good, he added.

This rice variety responds to the Agrosalud international program implemented in Latin American and the Caribbean since 2006 financed by Canada, which seeks to encourage the growing of new varieties of rice, corn, sweet potato and beans that have components that are important for health.

According to Limia, another three bio-fortified varieties are being evaluated by at the station.

(Presentará Cuba nueva variedad de arroz biofortifica)

Hurricane Gustav's Gust a World Record

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) considered Hurricane Gustav's 211mph gust, registered during its passage through the Cuban western province of Pinar del Rio, to be a record.

Jose Rubiera, head of the Forecast Center of the Cuban Meteorological Institute, said a WMO commission registered the record marked by the Paso Real weather station, located in Pinar del Rio, reported Granma newspaper.

Dr. Rubiera said the meters of the Paso Real station were broken by the gusts of the category-four hurricane. He explained that the strongest winds registered so far was by a winter storm in New Hampshire(U.S) in 1934, which had gusts of 229 mph.

However, in the case of hurricanes the record was of 178 mph marked by a storm that hit Mexico in 1953.

In Cuba, the most powerful gust that had been registered before was of 163 mph reported during the passing of hurricane San Lucas through Havana in 1944.

Hurricane Gustav swept Pinar del Rio and Isla de la Juventud (an small island off southern coast of Cuba) late August, 2008, and a few days later another powerful category-4 hurricane, Ike, hit the region causing considerable material damage.

(Impuso huracán Gustav en Cuba récord de ráfaga de viento)

Cuba will Participate with Four Teams at ALBA Softball

Cuba will present four teams in softball tournament of the 3rd Bolivarian Alternative for our America (ALBA) games, at the Santiago de Cuba and Ciego de Avila venues.

The Cuban softball players will be divided in four teams: two of each sex, including in their rosters the best national players, reported the official ALBA website for these games, to run from April 15th to the 26th in the 14 Cuban provinces and the Isla de la Juventud municipality.

According to the softball tournament’s sources the participants will play a round robin by the page system.

In the women’s event, to be played in Santiago de Cuba province, are expected the Venezuelan and Argentinean teams, while in the men’s the other participants are Venezuela and another Cuban squad, this time from the Ministry of Interior.

This event will be a good training for the women squad which will participate in the qualifiers in Venezuela for the 2010 Centro American and the Caribbean games in Puerto Rico and the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American games.

(Cuba con cuatro equipos en softbol de III Juegos del ALBA)