In a significant development for Cuba’s agricultural sector, President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez met with Nguyen Van Quang, President of Vietnamese firm Agri-VMA, to review the substantial progress of a collaborative rice cultivation project in Pinar del Río. The high-level discussion centered on the tripartite management model being pioneered in Los Palacios, which is demonstrating remarkable success in boosting wet paddy rice yields.
The innovative project, operating through the Mariel Special Development Zone, employs a multifaceted approach: direct cultivation on usufruct land under a fully foreign-owned enterprise, formal partnership agreements with local Cuban producers, and the sale of advanced technological packages and inputs to growers in the Vueltabajo region for foreign currency. This diversified strategy is proving highly effective, generating impressive production metrics.
President Díaz-Canel positioned these achievements as a direct manifestation of the agreements solidified with To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, during his official 2024 visit to Cuba. The Cuban leader expressed profound gratitude for Vietnam’s steadfast support, asserting that such collaboration paves a clear path toward national rice self-sufficiency in the near future. He urged Agri-VMA to expedite the completion of established plans and to further intensify cooperative production and technological marketing efforts with local farmers, noting the project’s role as a beacon for attracting additional Vietnamese investment.
In response, Mr. Quang conveyed his appreciation for the warm reception and reaffirmed the commitment of Vietnam’s leadership to continue supporting Cuba through its current economic challenges. He emphasized that his nation stands fully prepared to assist its ‘sister nation’ in overcoming these difficulties, highlighting the deep, fraternal bonds between the two communist-led countries. The meeting underscores a strategic international partnership actively working to strengthen Cuba’s food security and agricultural resilience.