In Isla de la Juventud, potatoes can be produced from national seeds, said Francisco Hernández Rodríguez, an experienced producer, according to the more than nine thousand quintals (qq) harvested in the territory at the beginning of the 90s of the last century. The Citizen Portal shares his experience.
In 1993 or 1994, we harvested 9,728 qq of the tuber in the special municipality, a record number for this territory, said Hernández Rodríguez, who learned the technology at the Liliana Dimitrova Institute for Horticultural Research, attached to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Over time, the poor quality of the soil and the low yield of imported seed discouraged the planting of potatoes in the territory. He commented that in the current scenario, aggravated by COVID-19 and the tightening of the US blockade of Cuba, it is important to take advantage of the experience of technicians and producers and the results of science and technological innovation applied to this crop, whose technological package is expensive for the country.
For the soils of the second Cuban island, the national seed could be the alternative, because in areas of the old La Caoba farm, in one caballería we obtained a yield of seven thousand quintals of potatoes, said Hernández Rodríguez, who at the time of his retirement He was the technical director of the agro-industrial company.
Currently this usufructuary farmer produces quality seed with his own resources, which grow in germinators from which he will then take advantage of the tuber-seed, the juvenile and lateral cuttings - in order to achieve accelerated growth of the crop - and flower, whose fruits contain the seeds of the plant.
I produce potatoes for self-sufficiency at home, but we can extend the knowledge to other farmers interested in this practice, which takes time, dedication and knowledge, especially in the preparation of the soil and irrigation system in order to fulfill its vegetative cycle and the cultivation expresses its productive potential, he said.
The potato - rich in proteins, minerals and vitamins - is a tuber highly demanded by the Cuban population and millions of people on the planet include it in their diet. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) the global production of the queen of meats exceeds 300 million tons, with the largest contribution from the People's Republic of China (of 66 million to 71 million t approximately in the year).
Producer assures that potatoes can be produced here
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