At first glance, José Daniel Falcón Rodríguez is a man of few words, but when he makes trust with journalists who come to his farm, his face transforms and then he answers questions and offers other elements that show how valuable his management is.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- It has 4.65 hectares and is entirely covered with different crops. But, visitors' eyes are lost in the bushes, among the yellow and red of the ripe fruits. He also prefers this part of his land, especially because of the effort he has put into it.
"The harvest has been very good, both the peppers and the chili peppers or rice with chicken, as it is known. That is why I have fulfilled my commitments with the Gonzalo Falcón Credit and Service Cooperative (CCS in Spanish), to which I belong, and I have been able to sell in the community of Dumañuecos and other places in Manatí."
Daniel can't sit still and while he picks peppers for visitors to taste, he says that he manages the family's land, which used to belong to his father-in-law, who unfortunately passed away. In any case, he clarifies that he has known them for years since they shared the work.
"I gave up the job I had and dedicated myself completely to the land. I count on the help of my children and when necessary some workers are hired, because here we have the will to harvest and sow again, so as not to waste any space."
"In addition to the chili bell pepper, I have carita beans, melon, pumpkin, and donkey banana. However, I could not fulfill the planting of corn and common beans because drought hit me very hard. What I have planted has been almost by luck, and thank goodness the rains have started."
"Through the Agricultural Intercooperation Support Project (Apocoop in Spanish) I received an underground irrigation system for two hectares. The bad thing is that there is hardly any water flowing through the canal. We contract it and pay for it; however, we receive it, if at all, once a month."
"We have already raised this situation, which makes it difficult for us to produce. For now, I thank nature and hope that one day there will be systematization in pumping through the canal. Only then will we manage to produce more, especially in the drier months"
During the difficult times of the Covid 19 disease, the farmer disposed of many of his crops for the benefit of hospitalized patients, health personnel, and people in vulnerable conditions. He was grateful to them and, for that, he would do it again.
"I will continue fighting for this country as long as I live, I have no other intention. What we do need is to put an end to the robberies. Here that hits us very hard and after irrigation, I have to pick up the hoses and put them under lock and key, inside the house."
In Daniel's chili planting there is always a lot to do, between the irrigation, the hilling, the fumigation with natural products, and other tasks. There he feels useful, more than in the rest of the crops; and he is happy even picking the red peppers because if a few more days go by, the production is lost.
