Mexico funds agricultural support for Cuban farmers
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Mexico’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) began a second phase of its “Sembrando Vida” program, extending support to 1,500 farmers and their families in each of the Cuban provinces Holguín, Ciego de Ávila, and Las Tunas.
AMEXCID will supply the selected farmers with seeds, machinery, technology, and training, with the goal of strengthening existing agricultural practices. Alejandra del Moral Vela, AMEXCID’s executive director, stressed the program focuses on providing resources to build on farmers’ traditional knowledge.
The initiative responds to a period of agricultural difficulty in Cuba, where rice production fell from 304,000 tons in 2018 to 111,000 tons by 2025, leaving the country reliant on imports for 70 to 80 percent of its food supply. The program also aims to increase the participation of women in agricultural activities and improve overall crop yields, as noted by producer Nubia Santiesteban Díaz.
The rollout in these three provinces follows an initial phase in 2023, which benefited 5,000 farmers in Artemisa and Mayabeque. Mexico is funding the current phase with 588 million Mexican pesos, more than 34 million US dollars, through an agreement involving Bancomext, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AMEXCID, and Banco del Bienestar. President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration has continued a cooperative relationship with Cuba, including sending over 3,100 tons of humanitarian aid since February 2026.
