[NYTr] Urban Agriculture Program Generates 50,000 Jobs in Cuba

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN)
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles


Urban Agriculture Program Generates 50,000 Jobs in Cuba

Santiago de Cuba, August 27 (acn) Cuba's program of Urban Agriculture 
has generated nearly 50,000 jobs across the island over the last few 
years. This number is expected to increase with the progressive 
incorporation of more land into this activity of production.

According to Cuban Ministry of Agriculture's reports, some 35,000 
hectares are currently devoted to urban agriculture in the 169 
municipalities across the country. Farmers are paid according to their 
efficiency which encourages hard work and contributes to the increase 
of productivity.

The implementation of several subprograms of the Urban Agriculture 
project have also contributed to reducing the overexploitation of land, 
which makes the process of farming less expensive.

Thanks to this initiative, Cubans have more access to fresh fruit, 
spices and vegetables, though production still fails to fulfill demand.

Nonetheless, Cuba's National Group of Urban Agriculture seeks to 
incorporate every piece of fertile land into the program for the 
benefit of the people and the country's economy which annually spends 
billions of dollars in imported food.

The greatest challenges to the Urban Agriculture program are found in 
the Cuban eastern provinces where the soil has been affected by 
salinity and erosion.

According to United Nation's reports, half of world population works in 
agriculture, mainly in the continents of Africa, Asia and America.