to encourage more people to get into food production. Cuba is not self-sufficient in this area, it never really was, but it has a large amount of arable land that was used to grow sugar cane for export. This land has gone back to a wild state and is not currently in production at all. Sugar Cane was the major crop in the past but Sugar exports have almost stopped and sugar production is Âź of what it was formerly. Having no sugar exports to trade for other food products and not producing enough themselves means they need to purchase it or trade for other services, such as medical services. Cuba now supplies medical services and trained health industry personnel for several South American countries. Fidel talked to us looking for ideas on this and other topics to take back to the Cuban government, who are looking for ways to increase the numbers of people working the land and engaging in primary agricultural production.
Left to right-Glen and Annette Hickie, Darrel and Mona Vermunt, Jean Ross & Bill Switzer, tour guide Fidel and the bus Driver, Randy Mader , Werner and Debbie Grundke, all returning from a tour.
Many of our group did tours, some spent a day at the Bay of Pigs snorkelling, touring a Nature and Crocodile reserve and others went to Havana for the night or just for the day. The Vermunts went to the Cuban island of Cayo Largo via plane and still another group went to Cuban city of Trinidad for a 2-day bus tour of northern Cuba. We had a great time and were very busy seeing the various sites in and around Veradero, as well as spending time enjoying the ocean and sun tanning on the beach.
Explaining the methane stove in a house, methane is produced from farm waste with a bio-digester
Salers Magazine
Farewell supper with the group! Page 9