With the planting of more than 5,000 hectares of coconut, the recovery of the plantations of this important crop, severely affected after the Hurricane Matthew passage in 2016, is progressing in Guantanamo province .
Currently 12 micro nurseries and a state nursery with capacity to produce 80 thousand seedlings, located in Playa Duaba, in Baracoa municipality, guarantee the domestic demand and the seedlings requested by other provinces of the country, informed the Deputy Delegate of Miscellaneous Crops in the territory, Cespedes Lobaina Areas.
The executive pointed out that the Indio Amarillo, Indio Verde and Cobrizo varieties are the most widespread in El Salvador, Yateras, Imias, Maisi and Baracoa municipalities, the latter considered the main productive pole, with the largest traditional areas contributing 90 percent of the annual production.
Lobaina Arias also highlighted the important investments in the first Cuban Villa to take advantage of its derivatives, including the factory for the oil extraction, the shredding plant and furnaces for obtaining activated charcoal.
This year, in order to achieve greater production control, collection and marketing, 1,600 farmers were visited out of the 2,150 committed to the program, said the Deputy Delegate of Miscellaneous Crops in the province.
Also, 65 percent of the plantations were counted to evaluate their potential and development, as well as the phytosanitary and agro-technical situation of the crop and, as an incentive, an increase in the purchase price to producers from 300 pesos to 975 pesos per quintal was approved.
Translated and edited by Dayla Perez Ortiz
