Cuban potato supplies shrink, prices soar

Despite favorable farming conditions, the 2024–2025 potato harvest in Villa Clara, Cuba, has collapsed, highlighting systemic issues in the nation's agricultural management. Farmers reported yields as low as 11 tons per hectare, significantly below the expected 22.5, due to delayed seed deliveries, inadequate land preparation, and fuel shortages affecting irrigation. Local journalists describe the situation as a "productive collapse," noting that consumers received only two to four pounds of potatoes after a year-long wait.

Compounding the crisis, the government set the official price at 11 pesos (approximately $0.46) per pound, which failed to cover production costs. In contrast, the informal market saw prices soar to between 150 and 200 pesos ($6.25 to $8.33) per pound. Reports indicate that some producers sold seeds privately instead of planting them, and essential supplies intended for cultivation appeared on the black market.

Similar challenges were reported in other provinces, including Guantánamo and Ciego de Ávila, where delays and low outputs persisted. In Santiago de Cuba, sales were rationed to three pounds per person, underscoring the severity of the food crisis. Meanwhile, the government began selling domestic potatoes in dollar stores at 8.85 USD per bag, prices inaccessible to most Cubans.

source: cibercuba.com

photo: goepicurista.com