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From: No es Fácil: Portraits of Cuban
Workers
Cooperative Farm Near Alquízar, 1996
Text and photos by Steve Cagan
The outcome of agricultural policy in Cuba
was not exactly what the revolutionary leadership had in mind.
One result of the agrarian reform was that small private farmers
were among the greatest beneficiaries of the revolution—becoming
rich by Cuban (or general rural Latin American) standards,
and comfortable by any standards. But the state farms were
always the least productive sector of agriculture. Meanwhile,
groups of highly motivated, mostly young people from the city
were organized to work as temporary brigades on state farms.
As one of the programs of the “special period,”
the government decided to hand some of these farms over to
the brigades that were working them. The idea was to create
new villages, and combine economic opportunity for the brigadistas
with a program that could help move people out of overcrowded
Havana. Unfortunately, shortages of building materials have
slowed, but not completely stalled, these programs.
I have stayed a few times in one of these new coops, and visited
others, as well as private farmers. Despite continuing difficulties
on the coops, morale seems to be high. The work force is largely
but not entirely young, and most people seem to have a strong
sense of personal and collective mission.
Meanwhile, the neighboring private farmers seem content with
their continuing success.
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