At the beginning of July, residents of Holguín will finally receive the overdue rice that the government owes them from June's ration. According to trade authorities in the province, the 2,360 tons needed to cover this debt arrived at the port of Vita in the municipality of Rafael Freyre on the morning of Friday, June 5.
The state-run newspaper Ahora reported that the unloading of the much-needed product required assistance from transportation vehicles from other eastern provinces and reinforcements from central regions. "Vita is 50 kilometers from Holguín, so we must quickly mobilize all actors and allocate a significant amount of fuel for the operation, despite its scarcity," said Rosell González Pérez, the provincial government's Transportation Coordinator.
Officials promise that the unloading operation will be completed in three days (supposedly by this Sunday), as another ship from Santiago de Cuba is expected to arrive at the port within five days. The new vessel will bring 2,800 tons, including 360 tons of peas, which will fully cover June's family basket and part of July's, assures the regime, which has been unable to deliver the basic basket on time for months.
"The unloading will not stop whether it's Saturday or Sunday; for those of us responsible, there's no difference between a Monday and a Sunday. We won't rest until families in Holguín have rice on their plates," added González Pérez.
Mountain municipalities in Holguín will be the first to receive the product, and distribution will continue to other areas in the province. The rice shortage, a staple food for Cubans, has been one of many hardships residents on the island have faced in recent months.
As June came to a close, Edelva Marín, the Coordinator of Commerce and Services in Santiago de Cuba, stated that the distribution of the popular cereal would begin for households in eastern provinces, according to statements made to the state-run Canal Caribe and cited by the Granma newspaper.
Since the beginning of the year, delays in ration deliveries have been a recurring topic among the population. The Minister of Domestic Trade Betsy Díaz Velázquez attempted to justify the situation last May on the official TV program Mesa Redonda. In her words, three or four years ago, the product was in stores at the start of each month. Now, it is necessary to "unload the ships, transport them to provincial capitals, then to municipalities, and finally to the network of stores. It's very difficult to manage the timing when you depend solely on imports."
In her opinion, responsibility lies with the work of the ports, distribution mechanisms, and even the weather. Meanwhile, the population suffers from the reduced quality, months-long delays in deliveries, and substitution of milk with other products, as well as delays in distributing food to vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women.
Understanding the Rice Shortage in Cuba
Given the ongoing issues surrounding the distribution of essential food items in Cuba, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers to provide more clarity on the situation.
Why is there a rice shortage in Holguín?
The rice shortage in Holguín is primarily due to delays in the government's import and distribution processes, exacerbated by logistical challenges and fuel scarcity.
How are the authorities addressing the rice shortage?
Authorities are mobilizing transportation from other provinces and allocating fuel to expedite the unloading and distribution of rice to meet the delayed rations.
What is being done to improve the distribution of basic food items?
The government is attempting to streamline the import, transportation, and distribution processes, although they continue to face significant challenges.