Regulated family basket and social Consumption: two priority destinations in Food distribution
The basic basket and social consumption are the priority destinations for the food available in Cuba, amid the complex conditions where, due to external and internal factors, the demands of Cubans are not met.
This is what the Minister of the Food Industry, Manuel Sobrino MartÃnez, announced in the Round Table space: “Our people must know that the availability of products is checked every day.”
Regarding the priority nature of these destinations, Sobrino MartÃnez presented some illustrative figures: in Cuba, today one million children receive milk; 645,000 receive one liter of domestically produced fluid milk per day, and more than 365,000 receive imported powdered milk. However, he emphasized, the selling price is subsidized, and the Government assumes the cost differences; because, otherwise, it would be impossible for thousands of Cuban families to access milk for their children.
Another illustrative fact is that every day 165,000 children in Primary and Secondary school are given a snack at school. Likewise, 31,500 people received special diets, including children with celiac disease and HIV patients. We are also working to reach vulnerable people with different food modules.
The owner added that a group of measures have been implemented in recent years that will improve and stimulate national food production. In this sense, 844 MSMEs have been approved so far for food production and processing. Of them, 195 are dedicated to making bread and pastries; 195, are meat products; 188, are fruits and vegetables; 93, are milk products; 30, are soft drinks and liquor; and 24 in fishing activities.
“The actors that produce food are diverse, and at the same time, the current law regarding the production of these foods has changed,” said the Minister.
As an essential example of the country’s political will on food issues, the president of Minal promoted the promulgation of the Food Law and Nutrition Education.
