|
A Brief on the Industrial Sector
of Cuba
The lack of official statistics makes it impossible to offer concrete
results. In the same manner, the proper central planning system of the
economy makes it impossible as well to analyze its production in monetary
value.
Before 1959, Cuba maintained a stable and solid economy within the
international markets. A balance in its imports and exports was also in
tuned, counting with the monetary reserves guaranteed by the high value of
sugar after World War II. At that time, the Cuban Peso and the U.S. Dollar
shared the same values. National and international financial institutions
cooperated in incrementing its lending operations to Cuban businesses and
foreign investors willing to invest their capital in the Island. The gold
reserves surpass the 500 Million mark.
In 1959, a meltdown was felt when Fidel Castro began the roots of a massive
program of nationalizing corporations. All aspects of industry was forever
changed in Cuba when the Soviet-Stalin models of government was slowly being
introduced which caused a radical change in the total functions of the
country's economy. Most of the vast sugar cane plantations that at one time
were the forefronts of the economy were lost for two fundamental reasons.
First, since the State held a monopoly on the economy, it was not able to
maintain these plantations on its own. Secondly, and perhaps the most
important, the State had not contemplated the accurate characteristics of
the earth and soil where the products were to be cultivated.
Agriculture:
Cuba has about a surface area of 6.8 hectares of agricultural lands (One
million acres.) But actually, about 65% of the land have been exploited
about an equivalence to 4.4 millions of hectares (11 million acres.) 35% of
the remaining land is not exploited and is considered state reserves. The
cultivation areas are distributed among the following goods: sugar canes,
coffee and cocoa, plantains, citrus, fruits, rice, beans vegetables,
pastures and grains.
Sugar Cane
The sugar cane is the main cultivated crop of the country and of course, the
chief ingredient of the sugar industry. Its production has decreased
dramatically due to the diverse factors that are not technical in nature but
by faults of the administration that has negatively impacted the proper
technique applications such as:
- The absence of fundamental politics in the technical criterion
- Severe Fuel shortage
- Shortage of equipment parts that impedes the production process
- Poor quality of the primary resources from the farms
- Deficiency in administration and technical operations
In continuation, here is some statistics on the production of sugar in
million of tons:
1991 - 6.4
1992 - 6.3
1993 - 4.2
1994 - 3.8
1995 - 4.4
1996 - 4.8
According to the information from the Cuban government, the numbers are:
1997 - 3.8
1998 - 3.6
1999 - 3.8
It should be noted that before 1959, the production of sugar was over 6.5 to
7.0 million of tons with only 33% of the laborers that present Cuban
socialist government employs, even with newer methods of cutting the cane.
Coffee
Cuba was never known as a great exporter of this grain, in contrast it has
been considered as the best producer of quality coffee. A brief analysis
that compared the coffee production in 1958 and in 1989 significantly proved
a sizable fall in coffee production of at least 63%. The following numbers
that follow are given in metric tons.
1958 - 43,600
1989 - 28,900
Tobacco
A decrease of 63.8% occurred in the production of this important crop so
much liked in the international markets, if we compare the tobacco
production reached in 1958. The following numbers show:
1958 - 50,600
1960 - 45,300
1989 - 41,600
1995 - 24,900
1996 - 32,300
In regards to tobacco exportation, the following table will illustrate its
behavior:
(Numbers given in millions of units.)
1991 - 248.0
1992 - 210.0
1993 - 193.2
1994 - 179.7
1995 - 60.0
1996 - 70.0
It is estimated that between 1997 and 1999 there was a small increase,
however, the accurate figures are unknown. |
 |
|
