Cuba Faces September Shortages of Coffee and Cooking Oil

The shortages of products that the government rations for its population will continue through September, leaving Cubans without coffee and cooking oil. Additionally, there are distribution issues with sugar, and the rations for other staples remain incomplete for yet another month, while authorities continue to call for “creative resistance.”

Betsy Díaz Velázquez, Minister of Internal Trade, told state media that in Cuba, “we do not have coffee or cooking oil scheduled for September, just as there was none in August.” Despite these shortages, the minister mentioned that in 12 provinces, the seven pounds of rice for the August ration will be fulfilled.

The most affected will be the residents of Santiago de Cuba, where consumers will receive six pounds of rice, and in Granma, they will get four or five pounds. In Guantánamo, the seven pounds per person should be completed, according to a report from the state-run Cuban News Agency.

Sugar is another product in short supply, with the government still unable to address the deficit. This is particularly problematic at the start of the school year when sugar is in high demand for students’ snacks. The government is exploring alternatives such as importing some quantities.

It seems that the only items Cubans can count on this month are salt and peas, although the availability of salt varies depending on the region. “A ship carrying 2,800 tons has arrived at the port of Havana, which will allow us to catch up with the western provinces. For the central and eastern parts of the country, salt will be distributed via railcars and containers, sourced from eastern Cuban salt mines,” explained the minister.

Additionally, a shipment of peas is expected, which was secured during June, July, and August. A ship unloaded peas in Santiago de Cuba, and another batch in Cienfuegos, and efforts are underway to distribute these, she pointed out.

Despite inadequate national food production, a shortage of foreign currency for imports, and a fuel crisis affecting transportation, the Cuban regime stated last July that the rationed family basket would be maintained, although they acknowledged the lack of resources. “Almost all the products in the family basket have to be imported, and this is the priority when allocating foreign currency for investment,” said Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz during a session of the Commission on Services, ahead of the third ordinary session of the tenth legislature.

It’s worth noting that at the beginning of July, residents in Holguín received the rice that the government owed them from June. A similar situation occurred throughout the eastern part of the island.

This ongoing issue is part of the persistent disruptions in the distribution of rationed food products, which for years have been incomplete or consistently delayed. “2023 ended with shortages of beans, sugar, oil, coffee, chicken, meat products, eggs, and domestic fuels, which continued into the first quarter of 2024,” reported the official digital site Cubadebate, detailing the “accountability” of the Ministry of Internal Trade to the National Assembly of People’s Power.

Minister Díaz Velázquez herself has acknowledged that “there is a fragmentation in deliveries to the retail network due to financial difficulties that prevent achieving the necessary coverage and timely receipt of products.” This results in empty tables for Cubans, as the government fails to deliver the promised monthly rations.