France will support Cuba in milk production

France will support Cuba in a milk production project. The French Development Agency will provide part of the funding. The Cuban government will assume the remaining portion.The Livestock Development Project (Prodegan) will be implemented in four municipalities in Camagüey, where the most milk is produced, according to statistics. The first phase will extend until May 2024.

Luis Alberto Montoto, project coordinator, told the official Prensa Latina news agency that the goal is to achieve 30 million liters in six years.

"The goal is to produce more than a thousand tons of meat from the herd movement culled from the herd," added the Ministry of Agriculture official.

Prodegan will include 105 cooperatives and 15 service providers in four municipalities. According to Yoan Sarduy, president of the Livestock Business Group, "it goes beyond the development of livestock farming; it seeks to advance communities and rural life." 

Prodegan receives support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development. For its part, the Cuban government has pledged to provide $51 million pesos to improve livestock farming and the living conditions of farmers. 

The official press did not specify the amount of money that the aforementioned French Development Agency will contribute. 

Milk, an almost non-existent product

Milk has become a very difficult product to find. The government must provide stores with milk for children up to 7 years of age. Pregnant women and people on medical diets also receive certain amounts of milk. 

However, delays or failures to deliver agreed-upon products to these most vulnerable consumers are common. In these cases, the explanations often point to a shortage of the product. 

In this regard, the 64 measures approved for agricultural development have had very little impact. Livestock numbers have not grown, and inadequate feed intake negatively impacts their performance.