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• Caribbean
• culture an traditions
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• Pinar del Río
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• 08 / 27 / 2008

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In his house, located in a place known as Luis Lazo valley, Pedro welcomed us along with his family, natives of the region and fully dedicated to agricultural labors.

It is surprising the laboriousness of this farmer and the intelligence he puts in everything he does in his properties, which only covers the third part of a caballeria.

Between pine groves and the range, he obtained last year over 2 000 quintals of food, grains and vegetables, from which 1 450 were commercialized in the territory.

“The rest stayed for the family and some friends”, clears Pedro, who is an outstanding member of the Small Farmers Association (ANAP) since 1999 and belongs to the Credit and Service Cooperative (CCS) Nicolás Torres.

Pedro recognizes that before the Revolution he was something like a “rare farmer since not even the grass grew up in this region, but as I always wanted to live here, where I was born in 1943, dedicate myself to prepare the land and protect the soils”, states.
Pedro and Luis working in the plantations, surrounded by pinneaple barriers

Clever by nature as almost all the Cuban farmers, Pedro tells what he did to get high yields in so little space: “I say that the level curves, the plow, the hoe, the proper preparation of the land and the seed selection are basic elements, that is why I take care of my land so much and protect it with live barriers, in this case pineapple plantations”. And the truth is that from the distance their lands give the impression of terrace system.

Likewise this Minas de Matahambre farmer, who works along with his son Jorge Luis, is very careful in the selection of the products that are to be commercialized.

To produce for the people, which is today a way to protect the Revolution, is a main priority to Pedro, a countryman of Luis Lazo valley that rescues in his land the yellow malanga and grows six other varieties.

He also grows yucca, corn, beans, banana, citrics, pumkin, pinneaple and has a small vegetable garden that –in his opinion- seems to be a children’s game, but gives food everyday.

Pedro, who several years ago delivered 100 quintals and today exceeds that figure, thinks that it is necessary to take profit of every unexploited piece of land.

“Not even the cob escapes here, since I use it as fuel, although I had electricity since four years ago, and with it came the TV set and the fan as a recognition by the ANAP”, says grateful this countryman who is a fervent follower of Martí and very often consult the quotes of the Teacher, specially those that are related to work, the land and nature.

(Guerrillero.co.cu)