Shortages of milk, eggs and sugar mark the current situation of the basic food basket in Cuba, admits Mincin minister

Minister of Mincin in Cuba acknowledges non-compliance with the Basic Basket and calls for strengthening national production in the face of current shortages. 

In a recent interview with the Granma newspaper, the Minister of Internal Trade of Cuba, Betsy Díaz Velázquez, provided details on the current situation of the regulated family basket, a highly sensitive issue for the Cuban population.

La titular del ramo admitió que el país enfrenta grandes retos para garantizar alimentos básicos, y subrayó la necesidad de incrementar la producción nacional como vía esencial para mejorar el abastecimiento.

Díaz Velázquez pointed out that, compared to the previous year, the delivery of the basic basket decreased considerably.

Key products such as fluid milk, sugar, coffee, eggs, beef, and salt were not distributed in the expected quantities.

There is a shortage of the Basic Basket. 

The minister explained that the drop in milk collection forced to reduce the per capita to half a liter, while eggs were only delivered bimonthly during the first semester of 2024, and since July, only to special diets, such as those of pregnant women.

"To alleviate this situation," the minister explained, "it is essential to enhance internal productive capacities, advance in the development of the Cuban business system, and achieve effective integration between state and non-state economic actors."

Another key issue mentioned was access to the official foreign exchange market. Díaz Velázquez emphasized the urgency for both state-owned and private companies to have access to foreign currency to import essential products, which directly impacts the availability of consumer goods for the population.

The minister insisted that increasing domestic production remains a priority to reduce dependence on imports and stabilize the supply of products in the country in the face of shortages in the Basic Basket.

The call for integration among all economic sectors is, according to Díaz Velázquez, the path to progress towards a more sustainable supply of the regulated family basket.