agriculture

Future oligarchs awaiting for change

July 24, 2010

The Daily Telegraph on the future Cuban oligarchs awaiting in the wings for change, while Methuselah returns: But one group is likely to be watching this strange political dance between the two Castro brothers with concern, as well as frustration: those who are preparing to amass vast personal wealth from Cuba’s eventual return to capitalism. [...]

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Cuba’s food shortages

March 25, 2010

Today’s The Economist addresses the Cuban government’s failed agricultural reform: TWO years ago last month Raúl Castro formally took over as Cuba’s president from his convalescent elder brother, Fidel. The switch raised hopes of reforms, especially of the communist country’s long dysfunctional agriculture. But change has been glacial. Official figures show that in the first [...]

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Govt. considers easing stranglehold on retail sector

September 2, 2009

Via Financial Times: The Cuban government is considering easing its stranglehold on the retail sector in an effort to legalise the underground economy and reduce massive theft. A recent communiqué from the Communist party’s central committee suggested change was coming to one of the world’s two remaining Soviet-style command economies, the other being North Korea…Cuba [...]

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Overview of Cuba’s food rationing system

August 26, 2009

University of Florida Professor José Alvarez has authored a fact sheet on Cuba’s food rationing system. Despite the fact that rationed products are sold at subsidized prices (fixed throughout the country), their supply always falls short. Since, according to the majority of Cubans, the rationed items are not enough to feed a person for the [...]

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U.S. is 5th leading trade partner

August 14, 2008

Reuters reports: The United States ranked among communist Cuba’s top five trading partners for the first time in 2007 despite the decades-old U.S. trade embargo, as U.S. agriculture sales increased by $100 million. Trade data for 2007 posted on the Web site of Cuba’s National Statistics Office (www.one.cu) placed the United States fifth at $582 [...]

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