Food production is a priority in this province. The call to increase production yields, meeting planned deliveries to the national industry and also the demands of neighboring populations, are objectives that mark the daily actions of those who work in the module of protected and semi-protected crop houses known as La Siguaraya, because they know the importance of their effort.
Puerto Padre, Las Tunas - Located in the municipality of Puerto Padre, these roofed plots were created with the aim of producing vegetables of optimum quality to respond to the tourist demand, but for some months now it has not been the same. In addition to delivering the agreed quantities to the Company of Select Fruits of this territory and a little more, they guarantee food directly to the population, replacing imports.
Nothing stops at these grow houses. According to Rolando Fernández Rodríguez, head of this module, the 2.47 hectares of protected crops, and one of semi-protected for vegetables, do not stop their rhythms and with the use of crop rotation, they obtain fruits of excellence that in times of COVID-19 are more necessary.
It is not a good time for vegetables because it is summer and the houses are above 45 degrees," assures Rolando. However, under these conditions, the workers stay in their position and fulfill their missions because they know that the country needs them.
THE LAND IS GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK
In this territory, good results prevail, now with an epidemiological crisis, they will be better, as a response from these producers who do not believe in pandemics, nor in an economic blockade.
“The year 2019 had its merits due to the excellent results, at the end of April the production plan was also fulfilled by 120 percent and from 300 thousand pesos that we had to give, we delivered about 400 thousand."
“The same result was achieved in May, since from 80 thousand pesos in sales that we had to deliver, we counted more than 180 thousand, with which we achieved more than double the compliance. The plan for the year is to harvest about 260 tons of total production, however, our goal is to reach 300, said Fernández Rodríguez, and for that, we made an effort with very little rest."
“We are carrying out the tasks assigned to us with commitment, the executive added, we sell in places where the authorities tell us to, we have supplied specialized entities, isolation centers, health institutions and all this without ceasing to guarantee the crops to Frutas Selectas, which is our main market and they also sell them in the places where they are needed”.
He also pointed out that as an initiative we also have various crops in support of food production and self-sufficiency. Among the crops, we have planted are cassava, sweet potato, and different kinds of bananas while to ensure protein and replace imports, we have begun raising rabbits, to reach about 200 by the end of the year.
REDOUBLED EFFORTS NOT TO STOP THE PACE
It is worth mentioning the attitude of our workers in response to the pandemic. Some stood out for redoubling their efforts and doing more than they were doing, and others, who sadly had to be sent home because they were vulnerable, cried with sadness at having to abandon their plots of land, which had been served with excellence.
Faced with this situation, the producers who have a cost center, which is the actual farmhouse they attend to, had to assume that of their absent colleagues and give them the same attention so as not to diminish the total yield of the module.
Nancy Yáñez Silva, who used to attend one of these houses, now has two under her care. Her companion Nereyda is now unable to leave her home because she is vulnerable to the new coronavirus, however, her productions continue to have the same results and she is not abandoned because she entrusted the work to Yáñez.
“I work the same Monday as Sunday, I don't have any holidays, and I make the most of the early hours. The houses are in production, so I redouble my sacrifices because nothing can be lost in either. Sometimes I harvest up to 40 boxes in a day by myself," this producer proudly shows.
ON THE DOORSTEP OF HOUSES, LOVE AND COMMITMENT
While passing by these premises, we ran into the couple made up by Marilín Torres González and William Roberto Ricardo, who attend to houses 11 and 3, respectively, or vice versa, because according to their confessions, both of them help each other so that the two plots of land bear better fruit.
They enthusiastically tell us about the achievements obtained with the cultural attention they give to their plantations, she with the cucumber, he with the peppers. “We obtain our own seeds so as not to wait for imported ones. It's true that these have better yields, but if there aren't any, we work with our own, because there's no time to lose," explained Wílliam.
Regarding the treatment of these products so that their quality is the best, Marilín emphasizes that they use biological means, not only because of the current deficit of fertilizers, but also because these bio-products reduce the concentration of chemicals in the food and are less costly.
The passion that each one has for their work, the sacrifice and dedication to attend to them permanently and the sense of belonging to each of these farmhouses, is the key to the purposes set out in the productive cycles, both of them stated.
