US hostility affects food supply in Cuba

Havana, July 18 (RH) Food Minister Alberto Lopez said that the hostile policy of the U.S. government against Cuba is having a negative impact on the national production and distribution of basic goods.

 We will never be able to ignore the effects of the criminal economic, commercial and financial blockade of the U.S. authorities against our country, which directly affects this vital sector for the people, he commented.

It causes great problems to obtain credits, to agree and carry out financial operations and to access closer markets, assured the Minister, speaking at the second day of the third session of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP, Parliament).

It also has a strong impact on our ability to achieve the current hiring of ships with the purpose of bringing food to our territory, he added.

"All this has a negative impact on the acquisition of raw materials for production and the fulfillment of commitments and deliveries to the people of the products foreseen in the Standard Family Basket (CFN), social consumption and other commitments," the official said.

These factors, he explained, cause the painful fact that products of the Standard Family Basket, such as powdered milk for children and pregnant women, arrive late or are missing.

To cite some examples, he added that in the last 18 months many deliveries have been affected several times, among them soy yogurt, chicken, coffee, canned meat and flour for standard bread.

Mr. López stressed that, although there are still shortcomings in the organization, structures and management of the sector, the U.S. blockade is becoming a greater and greater obstacle.

The minister intervened in the first point of the second date of the Third Session of Parliament, in its tenth legislature, which began the day before and concludes next Saturday.

During the initial day, the parliamentarians debated the Government's actions to invigorate the economy, the report of the first semester of 2024 and the report on the execution of the State budget, among other topics. (Source: Prensa Latina)