Taking more advantage of the strengths of the "Jesús Menéndez" farmers in the face of the difficulties caused by the tightening of the blockade, was the call of Rafael Santiesteban Pozo, president of the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), during the Municipal Assembly of the grassroots organizations of that territory, with which this process concluded at that level.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- With the premise of increasing production, Santiesteban Pozo, insisted on strengthening farmers' awareness, coupled with the efficient use of land to achieve self-sufficiency in the territory, guaranteeing greater use of animal traction without abandoning the mechanized, and having as a priority the growth in the various crops and in the livestock herds.
In this Assembly, the peasants spoke in favor of achieving a higher contracting and diversification of crops so that production is not stopped and the idle land is used.
Peasant Georgina Martínez Turruelles, of the Justo Bruzón credit and services cooperative (CCS), highlighted the role of the woman farmers in the Federation of Cuban Women and stressed the importance of the union between the board of directors of each cooperative and the grassroots organizations to achieve the correct operation and production support that the people need.
Thus, Gabriel Peña, from the Reytel Jorge CCS, also mentioned in the debate the experiences of his cooperative in correspondence with the progress of his community, not only in production but also in social issues as a permanent goal of the peasantry. He explained the need to substitute imports.
Tobacco producer Luis Enrique Pérez took the floor to ask for more training in terms of new techniques and requested the possibility that farmers can benefit from Social Security and retirement as other organizations.
In general, producers focused their interventions towards organic improvement and increase ideological political work, the importance of multiplying agricultural productions on the basis of science and technology, as well as strengthening traditional methods of tillage for the preparation of areas and the transfer of crops.
Headed by the young Feliciano Zaldívar Meneses, the Municipal Committee of the organization was set up in "Jesús Menéndez", with the commitment to produce more food for the people under any circumstances.
