After the rainfalls that affected Camaguey in September and October, the farmers of this Cuban eastern province started to prepare the lands to sow some 10 700 hectares of short-term crops.

Over the last months the arranging of the soil was insufficient because of the persistent humidity, being an obstacle for the tractors and the other farm machineries.

The sowing in this period, that the Cuban farmers call cold season, is essential to ensure the food basic basket with agriculture produces for the first quarter of 2008.

Apart from sowing great compact areas, in which the preparation of the lands is generally done by machines, the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) promotes to make better use of all the available surface and employ animal-drawn vehicles for working the land.

If these hectares are sown in November or December, some 78 000 tons of pumpkin, sweet potato, tomato, corn, beans and other crops would be picked up in early 2008.

Likewise, cultivations like banana and manioc are in full development by this time, highly favoured by the rains fell over the last two months. (AIN)