Historical figures and recent data show that Cuba produced and consumed rice and potatoes for decades,while the current collapse responds to a sustained drop in production and cultivated area,not to supposed eating habits “alien” to the country.
A statistical analysis disclosed by the economist Carlos Martinez in his blog Cubanomics dismantles the argument that rice and potatoes are not a natural part of the country’s diet or agriculture, exposed in the official program Cuadrando la Caja, on Cuban state television. Roberto Caballero, member of the National Executive Committee of the Cuban Association of Agricultural and Forestry Technicians.
Historical data indicates that, In 1958, monthly per capita consumption exceeded 10 pounds of rice and was around 2.20 pounds of meat, while potatoes, sweet potatoes and taro were regularly part of the Cuban diet..
Agricultural production figures reinforce this evidence. Historical records show that Cuba grew rice and potatoes since the beginning of the 20th century and that production of both crops grew steadily until 1959..
Far from being marginal crops,they were part of an agricultural diversification strategy that combined national production and imports.
FAOSTAT data, cited in the analysis, reveal that rice and potato production per 1,000 inhabitants has gone through one of it’s worst moments since 1961 in recent years.
Although there are doubts about the integrity of some official statistics, the downward trend is consistent with the current chronic shortage.
The economist Pedro Monreal in recent days, it provided additional official figures that contradict the narrative of excessive consumption.
According to their calculations, the total availability of rice for consumption was reduced by 41.5% from the peak reached in 2005. In practical terms, of every 10 pounds available 18 years ago, in 2023 there were only six left, which shows a contraction in supply and not an increase in consumption.
The productive deterioration is also reflected in the cultivated area. Monreal pointed out that, after reaching nearly 189,000 hectares in 2009, the area dedicated to rice began to decline, with an especially marked drop starting in 2019.
In 2023, the area under non-state ownership, which had been key in production, represented only 13.1% of the maximum recorded 15 years earlier.
The contrast between income and prices reinforces the structural diagnosis. A state worker earns around 7,000 pesos per month, while the estimated cost of a basic food basket for one person is 50,000 pesos. A single pound of rice now costs over 400 pesos on the informal market, pushing an estimated 89% of the population into poverty.
Systemic Issues, Not Dietary Choices
Economists overwhelmingly agree that the root of the problem lies not with the Cuban people’s plates, but with the structure of the agricultural system. State controls, a lack of incentives for farmers, and a general decline in production are the primary drivers of the current crisis. The suggestion that Cubans need to be “re-educated” about their eating habits is a distraction from the real issues.
