Private Cuban farmers given use of government land

by amyjudd | July 19, 2008 at 05:58 pm | 144 views | 2 comments

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Private farmers in Cuba can now use up to 40 hectares of 'idle government' land.

This was published in the Communist Party newspaper Granma yesterday, but it did not say how many Cubans may apply for this new ruling.

This is another measure by President Raul Castro to revive Cuba's failing agricultural sector.

But it described the measure as a way to help Cuba solve the problem of underused land while cutting food imports that are expected to cost the government $2 billion US this year.

Landless Cubans can be given a bit more than 13 hectares while those who already have fully producing plots can add enough state land to bring their total holdings to 40 hectares.

Existing state farms, co-operatives and state factories also can apply for underused land.

Ownership will stay with the state. Private farmers can get concessions of up to 10 years, renewable for another 10.

Co-operatives and companies can have renewable 25-year terms. And all will have to pay taxes for the lands, though the decree gave no details.

While the individual parcels are small, the widespread transfer of farmland from public to private hands could change the face of farming in a country where the government controls well over 90 per cent of the economy.

The decree noted that Cuba now suffers from "a considerable percentage of idle state lands," making it necessary to grant concessions "with the objective of elevating food production and reducing importation."

Government statistics released last month show that the percentage of fallow or underused Cuban farmland increased to 55 per cent in 2007, up from 46 per cent in 2002. Just 29 per cent of land on state farms is actively used.

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Rhonda J Mangus

at 18:03 on July 19th, 2008

good stuff:

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

rahul

at 16:32 on July 20th, 2008

good stuff:

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff. The original source is the following

Council of State issues new legislation. PRESIDENT Raúl Castro has signed two new decree laws — published in the Granma newspaper today — on the distribution in usufruct of idle land, and on working conditions and wages for retired teachers and professors who return to the classrooms. Decree-Law No. 259 authorizes the handing over in usufruct of idle state land to individuals and legal entities for using in a rational and sustainable form, in line with the land’s suitability for agricultural production. It adds that the usufruct granted is for a period of up to 10 years in the case of individuals and up to 25 years in the case of legal entities.It notes that the maximum amount of land to be distributed to individuals without any land is 13.42 hectares and, in the case of those holding land as their own property or in usufruct, they can increase it up to 40.26 hectares. Decree-Law No. 260 authorizes retired teachers and professors with the capacity to contribute their professionalism and experience, to receive, on a provisional and exceptional basis, the full salary of any teaching job they may fill, plus their pension. It is explained that this decree has been expedited for convenience until the new Social Security bill is approved. The current Social Security Act establishes that retirees can participate in paid work on the condition that the total of their new salary and their pension does not exceed the salary they received prior to receiving their pension. Translated by Granma International