lunes, 7 de julio de 2014

The Loneliness of the Tobacco Growers

The Loneliness of the Tobacco Growers / 14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar
Posted on July 6, 2014

Reinaldo Escobar, Pinar del Rio, 5 July 2014

The tobacco growers of San Juan y Martinez listened — between
astonishment and helplessness – to the National Assembly debates. They
expected that their difficulties and the problems of payment would be
addressed during the discussions of some committee. They were disappointed.

In the Rafael Morán, cooperative, located in the town of San Juan y
Martinez, frustration spread among the farmers. Just weeks earlier, the
producers had been visited by a representative of the National
Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), representatives of the Communist
Party in the town, and several members of the National Tabacuba
Business. The tobacco farmers expressed their difficulties and
complaints to these officials.

The meeting was part of the government campaign called "We're going for
more …" whose visible face was Vice President Jose Ramon Machado
Ventura. The State offensive to improve production led to these meetings
between the producers and the authorities of the sector. In the meetings
the feeling of many producers emerged, some of which asserted publicly
that "If there's no change in the price of tobacco, it is going to be
very difficult."

Among the main complaints expressed by the tobacco farmers was the
discrepancy between the real costs of producing tobacco and the price
that the state companies pay for dried tobacco. According to the
official figures, it should cost a farmer 1.255 Cuban pesos (CUP) to
produce 100 pounds of tobacco, but in reality the costs far exceed the
official estimate.

Even the slightest setback so that leads the tobacco harvest to being
considered "affected," which lowers its price and leaves the producer in
arrears. The disagreement with the payments made by State, the only
permitted buyer, for the so-called "affected tobacco," also showed up at
the meeting. This supposedly damaged raw material is used industrially
in the production of cigarettes. In the case of the plantations of San
Juan y Martinez, the "affected leaves" are excellent quality and quality
cigars and cigarettes can be made with them.

"It brings in great wealth in hard currency, and yet the peasant loses,"
the producer laments.

The State standards establish that tobacco is "affected" if it doesn't
have good colors nor an adequate constitution to be considered high
quality. But this doesn't justify the paltry price of 345 Cuban pesos
(CUP) per 100 pounds, established by the official valuation. If a farmer
has the least amount affected, then he loses all the economic support
that could pay for the crop. For its part, the State gets huge
dividends, especially in the international market.

Hence, the concern of these tobacco growers on seeing that the National
Assembly hasn't been informed that there is no review process for the
popularly called "purchase law." The absence of any discussion of this
subject made the growers feel cheated and forgotten. In the case of
Pinar del Rio the prices are higher than in other provinces, so the
dissatisfaction is higher in other tobacco-growing regions of the country.

"We haven't seen our demands reflected," claims Néstor Pérez González.
"We also discussed the situation of poverty in the area, which is
reflected in the farmers' standard of living and doesn't reflect the
fact that this municipality exceed its tobacco production goals," the
farmer says.

During the conversation Néstor Pérez expressed his concern without
restraint." This year has been critical, so we are predicting a worse
economic scenario for the area." The crop damage has been caused by
excessive rainfall during the period. A consequence of this situation is
that the farmers have perceived the injustice of low payments for the
so-called "affected tobacco" more seriously. "It will be affected, but
it brings in great wealth in hard currency, and yet the peasant loses,"
the producer laments.

"The so-called 'cost sheets' that they are offering us are well below
the real costs of production; thus our demand that the prices should be
raised," says Juan Pablo, who combines his tobacco with the growing of
lowers and fruit. The problem greatly affects the cooperatives such as
the Basic Units of Cooperative Production (UBPC).

The tobacco growers have taken the pulse of the situation and feel that
are being left aside. "We had the illusion that the Assembly would
reflect and we would glimpse some change." However, the last
parliamentary session has brought more frustration than hope to the
tobacco growing area of San Juan y Martinez and the mythical Hoyo de
Monterrey.

Source: The Loneliness of the Tobacco Growers / 14ymedio, Reinaldo
Escobar | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/the-loneliness-of-the-tobacco-growers-14ymedio-reinaldo-escobar/

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