Cuba shifts control of agriculture from Havana to municipalities

Cuba shifts control of agriculture from Havana to municipalities
Ray Sanchez | Direct from Havana
7:15 AM EDT, May 2, 2008
Havana

In an effort to boost food production, Cuba has shifted control of its
beleaguered agriculture sector from bureaucrats in the capital to more
than 150 municipal councils.

The Communist Party daily Granma said Thursday that 169 new agricultural
coordinating councils at the local level would assume control of the
island's farms from Havana's Agriculture Ministry.

In addition, the government may eliminate 104 state-run agricultural
departments, the newspaper said.

Shifting decision-making to local farm leaders will "stimulate
agriculture production, perfect its sale and increase the availability
of food and, in this way, substitute imports," the newspaper said.

With food imports soaring to nearly $2 billion in 2007, Raul Castro has
made agriculture a priority since officially taking over as president
from his ailing brother Fidel in late February. In a speech before
Communist Party bosses this week, the younger Castro said food
production was "a matter of maximum national security."

Salvador Valdes Mesa, secretary-general of the powerful Cuban Workers
Confederation, also stressed the food production theme in his May Day
speech Thursday.

"It is fundamental to concentrate efforts on increasing production and
productivity, above all in food," he said.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/cuba/sfl-0502havanadaily,0,7244872.column