Over two months have passed since the Cuban government decided to reduce the size of the bread included in the basic food ration. However, the Minister of the Food Industry has stated that they intend to restore it to its original weight. On Thursday, Alberto López Díaz spoke during the Mesa Redonda program, reminding viewers that the portion had to be reduced from 80 grams to 60 grams due to a shortage of raw materials.
"To ensure the availability of bread in the ration, we currently need 425 tons of flour daily under this consumption standard, compared to the previous requirement of 800 tons," López Díaz explained. He further mentioned that the decrease in weight is due to a lack of financing and timely arrival of shipments. However, the directive from Miguel Díaz-Canel is to "return as soon as possible to the 80-gram bread."
According to López Díaz, a ton of wheat costs between $400 and $500, depending on the market. Some nearby markets are inaccessible for Cuba, necessitating imports from more distant locations, which increases freight costs and extends delivery times. "We need $450,000 daily and more than $13 million monthly for the daily bread," he detailed, while also boasting that the oil required for bread production is 100% secured, "even though we have fallen short on the oil for the ration."